


Behind Enemy Lines : Daryl's story

by NaganSavior



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Confused Daryl Dixon, Fluff, Hurt Daryl Dixon, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Negan Being Negan (Walking Dead), Past Child Abuse, Possessive Negan (Walking Dead), Protective Daryl Dixon, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:47:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 45,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25752358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaganSavior/pseuds/NaganSavior
Summary: Daryl has to go "Behind Enemy Lines" when Negan demands to get him back after his escape from the Sanctuary.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Negan
Comments: 69
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> 🚨Daryl's story will continue here because some don't like Negan/Daryl and want whoever likes it to read it only, not because there was Rick's before this one🚨

"You ever hear the one about the stupid little prick, named Rick, who thought he knew shit, but didn't know shit, and got everyone that he gave a shit about killed. It's about you. Y'all going to want to put your guns down now."

Negan told Rick as he smirked at him. Rick was fumming inside though. He couldn't believe that Jadis betrayed them, but here he was now with a gun being pointed at his head and Negan looking at him with his grins that they all hated.

"You know Ricky, I've been very patient with you. Especially since your old pal Daryl killed Fat Joey. You see Fat Joey maybe wasn't the most badass son of a bitch, but he was loyal. He had a great sense of humor, in fact we were just joking about oral sex with Lucille the other day" Negan told him although he didn't seem at all upset about Joey's death. Rick almost groaned at having to hear Negan and suffer through his long speeches although he didn't like where he may be going with all that.

"You bashed two of our friends heads in" Rick spat out.

Negan chuckled at that clearly amused.

"That statement you just said, implies that we are the same me and you. We are not. I've got the power to do whatever I want, while you don't, Ricky. Now look how this will go. Your pal Daryl will show up, because I know damn well that he is here and maybe we will not kill you all" he told him as he smirked.

Daryl had managed to hide before Jadis betrayed them but he could hear clearly what Negan was saying.

"Shit", he muttered as he swallowed dryly. If Negan knew that he was there, he was very screwed. All of his friends had guns pointed at them. If he didn't reveal himself it was very likely that Negan would kill them.

"So Rick what is it gonna be?" Negan asked Rick who was looking at him with hatred.

"Daryl is not here" he told him. There was no way he would let his best friend surrender.

Negan chuckled at that.

"Guess he will come back to a bloody surprise then" he told him with a smirk "if that's how you all want to play it, then so be it" Negan continued as with a nod his people removed the safes from the guns and got ready to shoot at them.

Daryl felt his heart beating fast, he couldn't keep hiding when his friends were ready to get killed. He would regret this but there was no other way.

He revealed himself from behind the house he had been hiding and walked towards Negan throwing the crossbow to his side.

"I'm here" he told him as he felt his eyes stinging.

Negan leaned backwards when he saw him and let out a whistle.

"Well Look. At. That., is he a hologram Rick, because he seems pretty real to me?" Negan told Rick who was very frustrated that Daryl had revealed himself.

"Let them go" demanded Daryl.

Negan walked closer to him swinging Lucille dangerously.

"You are in no way able to be negotiating" Negan said "if I kill your friends or not it's clearly up to me"

"You can't-" Daryl started but Negan brought Lucille inches from his face.

"I can do whatever I want" told him Negan as he smirked again "you my friend are in big troubles. I'm not nearly done with you yet after you so rudely escaped. You will surrender without fighting it and I'll consider it to spare prick and the others" he said to him menacingly.

Daryl looked at Rick up at the gates and he shook his head negatively. Negan grabbed him by the chin and forced him to look at him.

"So what's it gonna be Daryl?" he asked him.

Daryl didn't want to go back to the Sanctuary but they were severely outnumbered.

He tried to avert his eyes again but Negan just grabbed him rougher. Daryl didn't want to say it.

"Jadis" Negan yelled out behind his back as he wasn't answering "shoot Rick"

"No!" yelped Daryl "fine I'll come with you"

Negan let out a chuckle as everyone seemed devastated by what had happened.

"Knew you'd come around" he told him with a laugh. "Dwight come over here"

Daryl saw Dwight who was beaten up and he was averting his eyes from looking at him. In a way he felt sorry for him but then again Dwight had done so many things to him.

Dwight walked to Negan and he handed him a piece of rope. When Daryl was tied up, Negan grabbed his crossbow from the ground and looked at Rick.

"The next time you will lie to me, Daryl over here will get an arrow ,got it?" he told him threateningly.

Rick couldn't care less about Negan's threats though. He looked at his best friend as Negan pushed him forward.

Who knew what he would be doing to him or if they would see each other ever again.

Rick looked at Jadis with a sharp glare as she lowered her gun and they all left taking Daryl with them.

"You will regret this" he told her as parting words. Because of her his best friend was caught again and now it would be way worse than before because Daryl had escaped and killed one Savior in the process.

Jadis met Negan by their cars.

"I expect you to hold the end of your deal" she said to him as she gave a look at Daryl who was standing by Negan and was staring at the ground.

Negan smirked at her.

"This is not the time to be discussing things, but I'll help you like I told you, that won't change"

Jadis gave him a nod and turned her back at them.

Negan watched her go away and then he focused on a tied up Daryl as he licked his lips.

"Not so mouthy now that you are all tied up, huh?" he told him joyfully.

Daryl was far from joyful though and Negan's "happiness" made him feel sick to the stomach.

"My people will beat you and your Saviors" Daryl spat out in anger as he looked at him right square in the eyes.

Negan didn't get upset and instead threw an arm over Daryl's shoulders which he couldn't remove with his hands tied behind his back.

"Aw Daryl, Daryl... You and Rick with your "I know it all mentality". What do you think this is? Life ain't a fairytale where the supposed "good guys" win. I'm saying the supposed good guys because at least in the stories I used to read as a kid the good guys didn't go around murdering people in their sleep or killing them brutally with a pipe,like you did to poor Fat Joey. In this world-the real one- I win, just because I can. You and the Prick either die or suffer the consequences from the guy who wins, me"

Daryl jerked and he managed to remove Negan's arm from him.

"Dream on" Daryl told him dismissively.

Negan sighed as he looked at him and he was getting annoyed.

"I would worry about myself if I were you and not be a sassy little thing" he said to him pointedly as he grabbed him by the arm and put him forcefully in the back of the truck.

"Think about it" he told him with a smirk as he locked the door ,leaving Daryl in the darkness.

Daryl wanted so much to breakdown right now. He was back in hell. Just when he thought this nightmare was over, a new one began. Now his situation was way worse if that was even possible. Negan would be way more alert and getting away would be close to impossible. Plus now he would be more focused on making his life extremely difficult.

He sighed as he rested his head behind him feeling the truck moving to return to that damned place - the Sanctuary. At least everyone in Alexandria was left alive, which was very comforting. As long as they were alive they would keep fighting Negan and maybe free him for good this time.

Daryl let his eyes close as he felt emotional exhaustion overtaking him and he drifted to a dreamless sleep.

\---

He woke up again to the sound of the truck door getting unlocked. They had obviously arrived to his soon to be-once again- prison.

Negan looked at him with a smirk ,as he opened his eyes and tried to wake up.

"Glad you took a nap" Negan told him with sarcasm in his voice.

Daryl groaned frustrated, feeling sleepiness leaving him completely as he stood up and got out. The sun was starting to set in the horizon as night rolled in.

Negan looked down at him and he grabbed him by the arm once again forcing him to follow. Daryl expected to be led to their cells but instead Negan took him upstairs. Daryl recognized the door to Negan's room but they didn't stop there either. Two doors down and Negan opened one to a small room.

It was a typical bedroom, a ten by fifteen foot room with a bed in the corner opposite the door, a small closet on the wall to the right of the door. The only other furnishing in the room was a small nightstand next to the bed. There also was a single light switch with turned on the light fixture mounted to the ceiling. One thing that made this room unsettling was that there wasn't a window- well there was a window but it was near the top of the wall and it was three small three feet long and a foot tall windows and none of them opened. The other unsettling thing was the door handle, or there lack of. There was a metal plate where the door handle should be and that meant that Daryl would be stuck in this room until someone decided to open the door.

Negan cut the rope with a small knife and Daryl tried to relieve the pain on his wrists from being tied up.

"You sleep" told him Negan "and tomorrow morning you and me will have a talk"

Daryl was anxious of what Negan would want to talk about.

With a last glare, Negan left the room and locked the door upon exiting.

Daryl looked around frustrated and sat at the bed. He missed his friends and family already.

He just wished that at least they would get to live their lives, because he didn't think that he would be having any life from now and on.

Time seemed to be just a concept at the Sanctuary. At least for Daryl it was. He didn't even know how late it was. He had tried hard to get comfortable and sleep, but he just couldn't. It was much better than being in a cell of course but he still felt so uncomfortable and anxious, that it was impossible to get some rest. Which sucked because in the morning he would have to face Negan again and it would be much better if he had gotten some sleep. He could go to hell for all that Daryl cared about, but instead he would be making his life a hell. Negan would continue to live his comfortable life, while he would threaten his friends and keep him locked up.

His mind wandered to what Negan had told him earlier. Truth be told he had indeed murdered Joey in a brutal way. He refused though that he was at Negan's point of evil. Nope ,they were nothing alike. Negan had killed his friends for fun and laughs, while he had been desperate. Negan had no idea what that was like. Of course now it was all for nothing since he was caught once again. Daryl sighed as he shifted his body to the left and looked at the wall. He wondered what Merle would say if he saw him like that. Probably how weak he was. First he had his father to be locking him up and beating him for no reason at all and now he had Negan who had developed a weird obsession for him and Rick. In general the abuse had become part of his life.

In Alexandria he had a family, the first real one. These people would do anything for him and had proved it so many times. He had felt what it was like to be happy. Only to be taken from him violently when Negan had appeared in their lives. He highly doubted that Negan would finally leave them alone. Either they would kill him in the end or he would kill them. The latter was more possible right now especially since he was holding him as a prisoner and his friends would be afraid to go against Negan in case he killed him. Daryl absolutely dreaded the morning when he would have to speak to him. He would rather his imprisonment didn't involve talking to Negan, but of course he would be doing anything to make him more miserable.

Daryl let out a sigh and decided to close his eyes. Overthinking did him no good. He tried to relax his body and he managed to sleep eventually for who knows how many hours were left until morning.

\---

Daryl woke up to the door getting unlocked and he opened his eyes blurily.

"Hey Daryl" told him Rick with a smile as he stood above his head.

Daryl widened his eyes and looked at him.

"Rick how-" he started very confused.

"We are here to take you home buddy" Rick said to him and Daryl felt so relieved. He almost teared up from his happiness.

"It's time to go home" told him Rick and Daryl nodded feeling emotional.

Suddenly a darkness started surrounding him and Rick disappeared from his view.

"Rick? Rick?" he yelled out desperately since his best friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey!" someone shook him by the arms.

Daryl opened his eyes with a gasp and saw Negan shaking him in order to make him wake up.

Daryl flinched back and realised he had been seeing a dream.

"What is wrong with you?" Negan asked him with something that looked like worry.

Daryl averted his eyes and sat up.

"Nothing. Am I not allowed to have a nightmare now as well? Tell me if I'm not, to let them know in order to go away" he told him bittely. He really had thought that Rick had come to save him.

Negan just stared at him and he sighed. Daryl cleared his eyes and stood up. Negan looked at him weirdly and grabbed him by the wrist to get him out of the room. Some steps away, he opened the door to his own room and got Daryl inside while locking behind him. Seemed that wherever he would be taking him from now and on, the locking would be guaranteed. The room was as Daryl remembered it from once he had been there, the only difference were the many things for breakfast spread by the table.

Daryl's mouth watered at that. He had become hungry since yesterday. Maybe Negan would force him to watch him eating this large breakfast while he would be having a dog food sandwich again. Negan looked at him expectantly and as Daryl wasn't moving, he let out an awkward cough.

"Come on, sit down to have breakfast" he told him as he walked closer to the table.

Daryl looked at him in disbelief as he approached cautiously and eventually sat down as well.

"What happened? Are you lacking dog food?" he asked him although he knew he was tempting his fate by behaving like that.

Negan huffed annoyed as he put some bread at his plate.

"No we are not" he told him with a side glare "it's just ,since I've made myself responsible for you from now and on, I want to minimize the stink eye I'll be getting and feeding you normal food, will be a start. If you miss them though, I can always bring you one"

Daryl looked at him sceptically.

"Nah, thanks but no thanks" he told him as he started eating. He may as well enjoy it a bit especially since he was feeling hungry.

He and Negan ate in silence as Daryl practically devoured the breakfast. But he didn't have any regrets for that.

When he eventually finished, Negan focused on him.

"So" he started "I want to know who let you out of the cell and if it was a person who's name starts with an S"

Daryl relaxed his back against the chair and crossed his arms in front of him. He tried to play it confident while on the inside he was panicking.

"With an "S"?" he questioned, trying to play it dumb.

"Hmm" replied Negan "Sherry specifically, to help you outta here. You see after you magically opened the cell door and escaped, she disappeared as well"

"I have no idea what you are talking about" Daryl told him defiantly. In case he caught her as well, she would suffer for letting him out. He wasn't crazy to say the truth.

Negan huffed annoyed. He was almost completely sure that Sherry did let him out and then she got away as well, but there was no way to know 100℅. Her escape maybe was irrelevant to Daryl's.

"Fine" he told him eventually "it doesn't matter. At least you got caught again, hopefully the same will happen with Sherry"

Daryl shook his head in denial.

"No, it won't" he told him.

"Either way Daryl" Negan said to him in annoyance "whether she comes back or not, you are staying. She only has Dwight, whom I trusted with you and he failed me, but you have an entire community" he continued.

"What the hell do you want from me, huh?" Daryl spat out as he stood up abruptly.

Negan stood up as well and saw Daryl forming his hands into fists.

"You don't want us to have a fight, Daryl" Negan warned him.

"Why? Afraid that I'll kick your butt?"

Negan scoffed at that. Daryl didn't stand a chance against him.

"The opposite will happen" he told him warningly "now sit back down"

Daryl looked at him and it was very tempting to just punch him right square in the face. But that would result to probably putting him in a cell again. So he let out a groan and sat back down with a noise as he stared at his now empty plate with anger like it had personally insulted him.

"I've decided what you will be doing on your time here" told him Negan.

Daryl snapped out of his thoughts and glared at him.

"What do you mean exactly?" he questioned in annoyance.

"You can't seriously expecting to be feeding you for free" answered Negan as he frowned at him. "I have the perfect job for you, which will involve keeping an eye on you the whole time. Can't have you roaming around freely"

Daryl sighed as he wondered what Negan had in mind. Whatever it was he didn't think that he would like it. Only in one thing he was good at and that was hunting. He could follow spoor with ease, plus he had accuracy and patience. But that involved giving him his crossbow back and letting him out, so it definitely wouldn't be it.

"And if I say no?" Daryl questioned just to anger Negan. He knew that there was no choice really. Whatever Negan wanted him to do, he would be forced to do it one way or another.

"Then you will be staying in your room all day long. I know that you're a loner,but you won't handle it eventually" answered Negan.

Daryl huffed at that and crossed his arms in front of him.

\---

"What the hell is that?"

Negan had led him to a big room which was a complete mess. There were things everywhere around and it was very dirty. Only a little bit of light was coming through the heavy curtains that looked like they hadn't been washed in ages. The room had been turned into some sort of storage room that people had just tossed things without a care for them to be tidy.

"You are gonna help me fix this mess of a room" told him Negan as he smirked. "It's one of the only rooms in the Sanctuary that's not used for something and I want to renovate it"

Daryl sighed as he looked around. To clean this mess and then renovate it, was a lot of work considering the mountains of things.

"What do you want to use it for that is so important right now?" demanded Daryl. This room had obviously been left years uncleaned. Just when he brought him here Negan decided to renovate it.

Negan looked at him and he didn't want to say what he was thinking of turning this room into. So he gave him another answer that he knew it would make Daryl angry.

"A torture chamber" he told him and saw Daryl's eyes widen. Negan walked closer to his face. "I mean I've always wanted one, now I have who to torture,so only the room is left"

Daryl had no idea if Negan was messing with him or not. It wasn't unlikely that he was serious.

"You want me to help you make a room so you can torture me?" he asked incredulously.

Negan chuckled menancingly and looked at him in the eyes.

"What can I say Daryl, a guy has needs"

"Well find other needs!" Daryl spat out.

"Aw come on Daryl, don't be like that. Do you know how hard it is to remove blood stains from the carpet? I can't do it in my own room. This room will be perfect. I may consider it to bring Rick as well when it's done. Two are better than one" he told him with a smirk.

Daryl averted his eyes. He couldn't believe he would be helping him to make a torture room.

"Why don't you make it on your own then or have your minions do it?" he asked Negan.

"You will appreciate it way more if you make it yourself" replied Negan as he licked his lips.

Daryl was at a loss of words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. All he wanted was to get as far away from there ,not be helping him make a room that would be used for Negan's sick pleasure.

"Cheer up Daryl" told him Negan "you're acting like I told you I would be killing you"

That would be preferable in Daryl's mind.

Daryl had never experienced a room with such mess. To clean all that would take ages. Not that he was eager for the room to be fixed if Negan was serious that he would use it to torture him. It wasn't like it was that extraordinary for him to want a torture chamber. Daryl expected him to have one already. Negan had all the requirements checked to be considered a villain - even a supervillain - after all. The fact that he was forced to help him though, so that he could eventually have a place to be hurting him, was just unbelievable.

Negan had made him start with some books that needed to be put in boxes, while he was looking at some papers to see what was worth keeping and what was not. Daryl sighed and continued putting the books away. Suddenly a rat appeared from behind a box, scaring the crap out of him as he let out a scared yelp. The rat ran across the room and hid somewhere. Negan looked at Daryl as he tried to catch his breath after that scare with the rat appearing out of nowhere. Thankfully Negan didn't make a sarcastic comment and instead continued looking at the papers. Who knew what else this room was gonna have. It was like something out of a thriller movie.

The books were all very dusty and Daryl was struggling hard not to sneeze. Out of boredom he started to read what the summaries of each book were saying and some were pretty interesting. He would like to read them but he doubted that Negan would let him. Daryl was so into reading what the books were about, that he didn't notice Negan standing above him.

"Are you working or reading?" questioned Negan suddenly.

Daryl sighed frustrated. Jeez he couldn't do anything without Negan telling him off.

"I'm working..." Daryl grumbled and stopped reading the summaries.

"Good" told him Negan plainly and went to his own thing again.

Daryl started to put the books in boxes faster so that he wouldn't have Negan moaning that he didn't do anything. Suddenly from inside one book fell a folder that said "to: Negan from: Lucille" written in a neat handwriting. Daryl gave Negan a quick glare and he was focused on the papers. He picked up the folder and he hid it quickly to his socks to read it when he would be back to his room.

Lucille was a person? Daryl was very confused. He thought that Lucille was just Negan's murder weapon. But apparently she was a person. Maybe he would read something that they could use against Negan. He couldn't wait to be let to his room so he could read it. Inside he knew that if he was caught reading Negan's letters, he would be mad, but he needed something against him as well. That place looked like would have many Negan's secrets. Daryl had to discover them in order to help his people to get rid of him eventually. Maybe putting him do this job wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. He hoped that he would be able to free himself before they got to the torture chamber part.

The hours passed by fast despite the fact that they weren't speaking to each other. Soon the room had gotten almost completely dark as the sun was starting to set so they couldn't continue. Daryl put one box on top of the other and sighed. There were still many things that needed to be sorted out. Negan stood up as well and looked at Daryl.

"Not bad for the first day" he told him trying to make small talk.

"Hmm you could say that" answered Daryl as he undusted his jeans and saw Negan staring at him intensely.

Negan grabbed him by the arm and got him out of the room leading him to his.

"Can I go to my room please?" said Daryl as he looked at him. What he wanted was to lay down and read the letter he had discovered.

"I was thinking for us to have dinner" told him Negan.

"I'm not hungry" Daryl answered "I just want to sleep"

Negan stared at him and he sighed.

"Fine" he said eventually as he led him to his room.

When he got him in, he gave him one last glare and then left him alone after saying to him a "night" to which Daryl didn't reply. Daryl heard the door getting locked and let himself slide down against the wall.

He removed the letter from his sock and looked at it again. He turned it around and saw that it was opened. Negan had read it already.

Inside there was a cut off picture that showed a younger version of Negan smiling at the camera. His right arm looked like he was hugging someone but that person was cut off and the other half of the picture was not inside the folder. Maybe that person was that woman, Lucille.

Daryl let Negan's picture by his side and got the letter out of the folder. He started reading it.

It started with "Dear" but the dear was scratched out, like whoever was writing the letter had regretted starting with this word.

"Negan,

I've called you over 50 times. Where are you? I went to the hospital alone again. The doctor is starting to question me. Saying "where is your husband?", " why is he not here?", over and over again. Saying that I shouldn't drive home alone after chemotherapy. I broke down today at the car, crying hard. Wishing you were here to comfort me, to hug me and tell me that I'm going to be ok in the end. But you are not here. Why are you not answering your phone? Yesterday I had fever again. The doctor says that it's side effect of the chemo but I feel myself getting weaker and weaker. I can barely walk around anymore. I'm left all alone and I don't know what I - what I did to you. Did I hurt you in any way? If I did I apologize a lot, I-I didn't mean it. I know that I am not the wife you fell in love with any longer but I'm sick Negan. Do you understand that? I may die soon. I just wanted you with me in the end, you know. Guess I'll have to die all alone. Call me in case you see my calls...

Your wife,  
Lucille"

Daryl had tears in his eyes. He looked at the letter again and the paper had signs of tears. She had cancer and Negan had left her - his wife - all alone in her most difficult times. The suffering and pain of this woman was clear in the words she had written. The tears rolled down his cheeks as he realized what Negan had done. He had let his wife to suffer and he was missing, just be - because she had gotten sick.

Daryl whipped the tears from his face as he folded the letter again carefully. He looked at Negan's photo and threw it under the bed. That picture didn't deserve to be in the same place with the letter. He laid in his bed and held the letter against his chest feeling like the paper had gravity and it was holding him down. Where was Lucille now? What had Negan done to her? Judging by what she had written in the letter her health had taken a turn to the worse. That poor woman. He may didn't know her, but noone deserved that. She was the victim in this story. Negan probably had been cheating on her considering how many wives he had now. Not only that but if he had felt at least an iota of guilt, he wouldn't have dared to name the damn bat after her.

That woman had most likely faded away feeling like she had hurted Negan somehow when the opposite had happened. Daryl sighed very frustrated. His hatred for Negan had been enhanced after reading that letter. Who knows what else he could discover about this guy. Although he didn't think it could go any worse than what he already knew. All that Lucille wanted was someone to be there for her. To show her that he cared. Instead Negan had left her go through hell all alone. There was only one thing that Negan was good at and that was hurting people. Emotionally, physically, in every damn way. He didn't get any lessons though. If anything the Apocalypse seemed to have made him worse.

In order to marry him, Lucille must have fallen in love with him. So that meant that he wasn't always like that. Daryl bet that if she didn't have cancer, she would have divorced him eventually. Negan played on the fact that the woman was very sick and she couldn't do what a normal person would have done, kick him out of her life. The same was happening with his current "wives". They were with him out of fear and because they had been forced basically. Daryl felt even more relieved that Sherry had managed to get away. Anywhere would be better for her than here and he realized that now more than ever before.

At Alexandria noone behaved like that. They all had respect for women in their community. He thought of Rick and Michonne, how respectful they were of each other. Just because the world had turned to shit, that wasn't an excuse to be treating others like shit as well ,like Negan did. He felt the need to take vengeance for Lucille, to make Negan pay for what he did to her. Just because she wasn't around anymore, that didn't give him a free pass like he thought so arrogantly. Daryl thought of tomorrow when he would have to see him again. He had to contain himself for now. The time would come that Negan would face the consequences of his actions.

He put the letter under his pillow and closed his eyes hoping for a dreamless sleep.

\---

When Negan unlocked the door in the morning, Daryl was already up from bed.

"Mornin'" told him Negan as he entered the room.

"Morning" answered Daryl. He seemed off to Negan but then again he had imprisoned him once again. He couldn't expect him to be happy.

"Let's go have breakfast" told him Negan as he went to grab him.

Daryl stepped back though. He didn't want Negan to be touching him.

"I can walk on my own" he told him as he exited the room.

Negan didn't like Daryl's defiance but he decided to not make a deal and instead he followed behind him feeling moody.

They sat down to have breakfast and Negan sighed.

"You should be eating" he told him as he put some omelette to his plate "you shouldn't skip meals like yesterday"

Daryl frowned and looked at him. Funny that he cared for his well-being out of sudden.

"I'm fine" he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Negan shook his head and continued eating. Daryl was way more contained to the amount of food he got than he was the day before. He didn't want to be taking more from Negan than the absolute necessary. He'd have to be patient and soon enough he would go back to his own home. Away from Negan.

"What were you doing at Alexandria?" questioned Negan suddenly in an attempt to talk to Daryl.

Daryl had no mood to be talking to him although he had to try for his own sake.

"Hunting mostly" he answered "at the woods. I wasn't at Alexandria a lot"

"Are you good at it?" asked Negan.

Daryl shrugged.

"I almost always catch something. The Walkers had been killing them though so it's harder to find nowadays. Especially big ones like deers."

"Yes, I understand" replied Negan as he took a sip of orange juice. "I've seen that Rick is growing a garden" he told him.

Daryl was sure that they would be taking from the garden as well.

"Hmm yeah, Rick wanted it. He is experienced in gardening and growing vegetables" said Daryl as he felt a pang of pain thinking of Rick.

"You know him a long time huh?" Negan asked him. He had seen how close he and Rick were. Hell Daryl had even punched him right square in the face during the line up because he had been threatening Rick and his friends.

"Yeah..." drawled Daryl as his mood darkened.

"Do you have anyone from family left?" Negan questioned curiously. Daryl groaned internally. Negan didn't want them to get into the family subject because he wouldn't like at all what he wanted to say.

"Had a brother" he said eventually.

"Where is he now?" asked Negan as he looked at him.

Daryl sighed and looked at him as well.

"He is dead" he told him simply.

Daryl spent the whole morning up to noon moving things out of that room. Negan had enlisted some Saviors as well to help since it was impossible two people to do all that. Daryl was afraid to be left with Saviors but it turned out that the guys Negan brought were very cool with him and dare he say even kind. They didn't make any comments on why he was there and helped him out a lot. Even offered him a drink which he accepted gladly since he had gotten thirsty. He wished everyone at the Sanctuary was like that. The best part was that Negan didn't speak to him almost at all and focused on moving the items downstairs in order to throw the most away. Daryl got the dirty curtains down and light came through the window.

He stared out longingly. It was a beautiful sunny day. He hadn't noticed with the curtains blocking the big window. It's been two days but he'd missed going out and getting some fresh air. One person brought them sandwiches in order to have a break and Daryl opted to sit alone to eat it as he looked out of the window. They had made a big progress on the room as it was almost empty now. The hardest and most demanding part was renovating it. The floor would be changed, painting the walls... Daryl sighed. At his father's house they never did anything like that. He and Merle were forced to live in the same room which was old and always had a smell of mold. Not to mention they had seen numerous times cockroaches running around. He had always been jealous of some of his classmates that had nice rooms and their parents were buying them all the cool things.

Daryl was embarrassed to invite anyone to his own home. One because his father had bottles of beer everywhere around and secondly because of the embarrassment of his and Merle's room. They barely had to eat so his house was the least of their problems. At least Rick, despite their difficulties with the Saviors, had managed to make a nice home for his kids. It was very important to grow up in a friendly environment or you'd end up like himself. With countless insecurities and keeping to himself mostly. He was afraid that if he opened up to anyone more than the absolute necessary that they would hurt him and leave eventually. Maybe he was doomed to be all alone and miserable. Plus they had faced so many psychos already that wanted to hurt them. They had the Governor, the Terminus gang that turned out to be cannibals and now the Saviors. Daryl sighed frustrated. They couldn't catch a break in general.

He bet that Negan was the complete opposite of himself. Growing up to a probably wealthy household, with parents that did everything for him being the only child and having anything he wanted. There was no other explanation as to why he wanted to be treated like a king. Daryl was sure that Negan never knew what it was like to have an abusive father, feel neglected and trying hard in order to get to eat one portion of food. He should have run away and maybe find shelter at a care home or something like that. Maybe his life would have turned out better. He thought of Merle and his death. His big brother had always been quite unstable and aggressive. In the end it turned out he did care about him but all the fights they had, all the arguments, they still ached him. Maybe if he was still here, he wouldn't have been imprisoned by Negan. Merle always had a way to avoid such situations while he was emotional. If his friends were in danger he would be willing to do everything for them. Which was why they were free and he was stuck helping Negan make a "torture chamber".

He looked at his sandwich and it suddenly felt like ash in his mouth despite the fact that it was actually very tasty. So he left half of it and got back to work. The other guys bid him goodbye from across the room as they had other things to do and their job there was done. Daryl told them goodbye as well feeling a bit weird that he had been distant towards them. It wouldn't be terrible to try to make some friends. But then again he was a prisoner. There couldn't be friendships either way with him being stuck in a room and with Negan constantly watching him. Talking about Negan, Daryl realised he had left him all alone in the room without a care if he escaped or if he wasn't working. He decided not to do either of these though. He didn't wish to get caught again right now.

So he continued tidying things up as best as he could. Maybe half an hour later Negan reappeared followed by an old man. Daryl looked up at them and his eyes widened. That man looked a lot like Dale. But Dale was definitely dead.

"Hey Daryl" started Negan as he looked at him intensely "I would like you to meet Clifton Winthrope. He is an expert at renovating so he will be helping a lot with all that" he told him.

The man smiled at him warmly and shook Daryl's hand taking him by surprise. He seemed very...kind and good. Which was a shock to Daryl.

"Nice to finally meet you Daryl Dixon, Negan has told me a lot about you so I was eager to meet that special man"

Negan had been talking about him and was saying good things as well? Daryl felt like he had stepped into some parallel universe.

He shook his hand back though.

"I'm not special sir" he mumbled, feeling very weird.

The man just smiled at him even more.

"Humble too. I like him already Negan" he said.

Clifton had been explaining what materials they should use for the renovation and Daryl found himself paying attention to what he said. The guy knew so many things about design and which materials fit best in each situation. They could definitely use his knowledge back at Alexandria. It was interesting though to learn knew things. Clifton reminded him so much of Dale. Not only in the way they looked, but in the way they talked as well.

"So do you agree?" asked Clifton as he looked at them.

Daryl stayed quiet as he didn't have any saying in the matter. Negan should get to say how he wanted that room to be like. Daryl wondered if Clifton knew what Negan wanted to turn this room into. He seemed too kind to be helping him make a "torture chamber", but then again the guy was old in age so he may had no other choice.

" Yes I think they are good" told him Negan as he saw that Daryl was silent.

"Great" told him Clifton "we'll start tomorrow then. Daryl, do you know anything about these kind of things yourself?" he asked him.

Daryl shook his head.

"No, I wouldn't say so. Ι've seen how you paint walls correctly, but only that" he told him.

"It's ok" Clifton said with a kind smile "it's not that hard"

"You have 30 years experience though, Clifton" said Negan with a smirk.

Clifton laughed at that.

"I do but it's really not something difficult, you just need proper guidance that's all. I had a lot when I started"

"Was this your job?" Daryl questioned.

"Yes I renovated all kinds of homes and rooms" answered Clifton "Now it's harder to find materials though"

"We have everything needed" said Negan "my men found them while scavenging so we are fully stocked"

"Great, can't wait to be back in action then" Clifton told him. He bid them both goodbye and left to go to his room leaving Negan and Daryl alone.

"You did good today" told him Negan as he looked at him.

Daryl didn't want Negan's praises though. To let him go was all he needed.

"Is Clifton ok with what you are doing?" asked Daryl instead as he crossed his arms "He doesn't seem like the person who would be fine..."

Negan frowned at that and looked at the dirty floor.

"He knows if that's what you're asking, but no he's not fine with it. He also knows me though and gets why I'm doing what I do. I have to protect my community"

"Does he know what I'm doing here as well?"

Negan looked him in the eyes and he sighed.

"Yes, he knows that too" he told him.

Daryl stayed quiet. He wanted to go back to his own room again. To be left alone.

Negan guessed his thoughts though.

"You are not skipping meals again" he said to him "I saw that you didn't eat the sandwich as well"

"I'm not hungry" Daryl told him. He felt miserable, he had no mood to be eating.

"At least a little bit" pleaded Negan "and then you can go to sleep"

"Fine..." grumbled Daryl as he followed him out of the room.

"Oh before I forget" told him Negan as he picked up a box "this is for you"

Daryl looked at the box and it was the books he had been putting in the boxes yesterday. He glared at Negan as he couldn't understand.

"Saw you looking at them and you want some entertainment as well. So these are for you" he told him hesitantly.

Daryl felt very weird that Negan was doing something nice for him for the first time.

He mumbled a "thanks" though and took the box in his arms.

Negan told him to take a shower which Daryl accepted almost immediately. He had been sweaty and his clothes were dirty by now. So it was a relief to be able to shower and change clothes. A big improvement since the last time when he was forced to be wearing that awful sweatshirt. Negan's bathroom was very clean and spacious. It almost felt like he was at a five star hotel. He should focus though and not forget where he really was. Daryl sighed as he removed his dirty clothes and got to the shower. The warm water helped him relax for the first time in two days.

When he got out and dried himself he checked the clothes that Negan had given him. It was a black shirt and dark blue jeans. He tried them on and somehow they fitted him perfectly. He checked himself on the mirror and he looked tired but normal. The most normal he had been since Negan brought him there. He let out a sigh and walked out of the bathroom where Negan had been waiting for him. When he saw him he eyed him up and down with a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Let's go have dinner" he told him. Negan had changed clothes as well wearing black jeans as Daryl and a grey T-shirt. He motioned him to follow and Daryl was surprised that they didn't stay at Negan's room.

"Erm where are we going?" Daryl questioned confused.

"You'll see" told him Negan behind his back. Daryl followed reluctantly. At least he wasn't grabbing him any longer.

They walked around and Daryl had no idea where he was taking him. He wanted to go to his room after all and not be having dinners with his captor. Negan opened one door and Daryl saw a lit balcony that had a table with two chairs and food waiting for them. It had an amazing view to the sky as the lack of city lights made the stars visible. Daryl was amazed by the view.

"Do you like it?" asked Negan as he led him to the balcony and motioned him to sit down.

"Yeah, I do" said Daryl. He couldn't deny that the view was great. Plus he finally was outside. It had a small breeze but nothing uncomfortable.

He looked at the dinner and it had two large plates of spaghetti with red sauce and by the side bread rolls. Plus there were two glasses with red wine and a bottle next to them.

"Bon appetite" told him Negan as Daryl was still taken back by everything. He never expected he would get something like that.

He tried the spaghetti hesitantly and they were very tasty. Daryl felt his appetite coming back and realised how hungry he had actually been. The wine tasted also amazing, he needed something to let him loose.

"See told ya you should eat" Negan said to him as he saw him enjoying the food.

"Thank the chef, whoever it is" replied Daryl and despite his hatred for Negan he should at least recognise that he had been treating him better.

"Hmm I will" said Negan as he drank from his glass.

Daryl felt the air against his skin and it felt so good. He let his fork down and closed his eyes.

"I've missed this" said Daryl feeling very emotional as his eyes were stinging.

He heard Negan sighing.

"Look I've-" Negan said trying to find the words "whatever you need, you can tell me"

Daryl opened his eyes and he let some tears roll down his cheeks.

"I want to go home" he told him. Negan felt a pang of pain at that but he couldn't let him go.

"That can't happen Daryl" Negan said in a quiet tone.

"I know" Daryl told him as he refilled his glass. He needed alcohol right now. He drank glass after glass as he ate the spaghetti and Negan didn't stop him. Instead he stayed silent and ate his own food.

This was Daryl's breakdown and he should let him have it. Soon Daryl was drunk and stood up as he walked to Negan's side of the table.

He loomed over him as his voice trembled and he had tears again.

"Everyone is hurting me" he told him with pain.

Negan looked at him as hot tears ran down Daryl's face. The guy was a mess and he knew that it was because of him.

He supported Daryl as he got him downstairs. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to let him drink that much. He went to put him to his room but Daryl refused and instead walked to Negan's and got in like he owned the place.

Negan frowned but followed him only to see Daryl removing his clothes except from his boxers and laying to his bed.

"Daryl what the hell-" he started but Daryl had already gotten comfortable and he started snoring softly.

Negan just stared at him as he couldn't believe how fast it had all happened. He bet he would be mad tomorrow when he would get sober.

He put on his pyjamas and laid in bed as well keeping a respectful space between them. Daryl still had trails of tears on his cheeks.

Negan sighed to himself as he turned off the light beside him.

Negan woke up early and saw an almost naked Daryl sleeping by his side. So he hadn't dreamt it after all. Last night did happen. He had never seen Daryl like that without a care if he would be seen weak or not. All he knew was that he wanted them to have dinner together and then all that happened. He and his brilliant ideas had led him to sleep with his enemy and prisoner. From now and on Daryl would eat in his room. He couldn't allow that to happen again. Looking at Daryl as he was sleeping though, made him feel guilty. He didn't know how long he could keep him there. Daryl was legitimate scared of him, hell he even believed that he was making a torture chamber. Daryl had suffered enough already on his previous time there, he didn't plan to be torturing him. Sure the fact that he had him locked up wasn't ideal, but he wasn't really hurting him.

He decided to let him sleep and go alone to start with Clifton on the room. Negan wrote him a note and left it by the table with some breakfast. He gave him one last glare and walked out of the room without locking. It wouldn't harm to let him rest for the day. He told him that if he was feeling ok to come find them. One hour later Daryl grunted as he opened his eyes. His head was hurting. He whipped the sleepiness from his eyes and looked around as he started remembering what happened last night. Shit, he thought. He looked at himself and he was only in his boxers. His cheeks redenned as he remembered what he did yesterday. Not only he had shown to Negan how weak he was by begging him to let him go but also he had forcefully slept to his bed. He had no idea why Negan hadn't kicked him out.

Speaking of Negan, he had left him all alone and he was nowhere to be seen. Daryl got up and saw a note by the table accompanied with breakfast.

"Daryl, there is breakfast, you eat. Hope you are feeling better from getting drunk last night and taking over my bed...Come find us if you are better, Negan⚾"

Daryl's face was feeling hot from his embarrassment. He should go help though, to at least do something from work in order to balance the ridicule of last night. He got dressed and splashed water to his face. He sat down and saw three pancakes with murple syrup. Who was making all that in the Apocalypse? He couldn't complain though, they tasted delicious.

After he ate he looked around one last time and thought of how embarrassing it would be to see Negan again. He opened the door and he was surprised that Negan was trusting him to go all alone without overseeing him. Maybe he was sure that he wouldn't try to escape. He turned to a corner and saw four guys sitting and laughing. It wasn't the guys from the other day. These ones were bulky and hardened. He thought to turn back around but it was too late. They've seen him.

"Well look at that" said one "Negan's pet"

Daryl felt his face getting hot again. Negan's pet? That was what the compound thought of him?

The guys approached him and he thought of running away. But he just couldn't.

"It is a surprise that he left you unsupervised" told him another one.

"Fuck off" said Daryl as he found his voice.

The guys laughed at that as they had officially cornered him.

"I get why Negan took a shine on you" said the first guy that had spoke "you really are a pretty one. Tell me does Negan use you well?"

Daryl felt his heart beating fast. What did they want from him?

"Leave me the hell alone" Daryl spat out as he went to leave.

They grabbed him by the arms and got him to the floor. They were stronger than him. He tried hard to get them off of him but he got slapped hard in the face. Daryl felt one unbuckling his jeans and he felt his blood ran cold. They were going to rape him. Daryl begged them to stop but they just laughed. As one got his boxers down, the other two held him down. Daryl thrusted violently as he felt the one touching him. He could barely see with the tears in his eyes. The guy entered him and Daryl yelled out in pain as he started moving harshly without a care if he was hurting him. Daryl wanted to throw up as the guy above him moaned in pleasure.

"Hey!" someone yelled behind the guy "what the hell are you doing?!"

Daryl sobbed again as he realised that it was Dwight's voice and he had never heard him sounding so mad before.

The guy removed himself from Daryl as he pulled his pants up and they all got away fast. They knew that Dwight would tell Negan.

Dwight ran to go get Negan. He couldn't believe what they'd done to Daryl.

Daryl couldn't even pull his jeans up. He just curled to himself and sobbed hard. What he had done to deserve this?

Dwight came back with a furious Negan by his side. His eyes widened as he saw the state that Daryl was in.

"Dwight go bring Dr Carson" he told him in a cold tone and Dwight hurried to comply.

Daryl continued crying as Negan got down to his knees.

He looked at him with pain in his eyes.

"Why did you let them do that to me?" he asked in a trembling voice as he had fresh tears rolling down his cheeks.

Negan knew at that moment that he was gonna bash their heads in.

"Oh my God, Daryl" yelped Dr Carson as soon as they came back with Dwight. Daryl was sobbing hard and Negan was standing by his side looking unsure of what to do.

"He needs to be moved to my office, can't treat him here"

Negan nodded and went to touch Daryl but he flinched back violently.

"Daryl I need to touch you in order to get you treated" told him Negan as he frowned at Daryl's reaction.

Daryl continued crying though and refused to be touched.

"Let me handle it" said Carson almost whispering and got by Negan's side to talk to Daryl.

He kneeled down and tried to calm him down.They should manage the subject very carefully, Daryl was hurting a lot.

"Daryl look at me please" he pleaded him "it's me, Dr Carson. I want to help you. I know how hard it is for you but you have to get up. I want you to think of your friends. Think of Rick. What would he want? For you to get treated. Don't do it for me or anyone else here, you need to do it for them and for yourself ok? I'm begging you to do the right thing. You can't stay here"

Daryl looked at him with pain in his eyes. Carson was right though, he had to try for his friends. Everything hurt so damn much though.

Dr Carson supported him and he got him up carefully. Daryl could barely stand up. Carson helped him remove the jeans so he would be able to walk and to his horror saw blood dripping down the floor. Negan saw it too and his face transformed to outrage. Oh they were so gonna pay for this. Carson didn't tell Daryl about the blood. He didn't have to know right now. He was into too much pain already. It took special kind of monsters to do something like that in plain sight specifically. Thank God that Dwight happened to pass by. They could have may as well found him dead by the time Negan realised what had happened.

"It hurts" sobbed Daryl and it was absolutely heartbreaking.

"I know Daryl, I know" told him Carson as he felt his own eyes stinging as well "the pain will stop soon. I promise you"

Negan wanted to pick him up in his arms and take him as quick as possible to Carson's office but Daryl didn't want to and he should respect that.

Carson gave him a worried glare and he took most of Daryl's weight as they walked slowly to his office. He tried to tell him comforting words and that he was gonna be ok.

Negan watched them walk away and turned to Dwight who was looking at the floor with a lost expression. He had tortured Daryl himself when he was in that cell but this was atrocious. Noone deserved to go through this.  
Negan wanted to see Daryl but Carson told him to visit in the morning. It would be late by the time anesthesia wore off. He laid to his bed and thought of last night. If Daryl was already traumatized, what happened today would make him even worse. He had to be treating him very carefully from now and on. All jokes aside, he couldn't mess Daryl even more. He sighed and closed his eyes.

It was around 12:00 when Daryl woke up. He was feeling very numb. He blinked his eyes and he saw that he was wearing an oxygen mask. He removed it with trembling hands and looked around. He was laying in a hospital like bed with many equipment all around. If he didn't know better, he would think he was at a hospital. It was very well equipped. Carson walked to the room and his eyes widened as he saw that he woke up. He hurried by his side.

"Daryl" he said "How are you feeling?"

Daryl thought about it. How was he feeling? Empty would be a good answer.

"I'm fine" he mumbled very weakly. He didn't want to say his real emotions. The shame, the loneliness, the hatred for what they did to him...

Carson looked at him and he sighed. He knew very well that Daryl was far from fine. He pulled out a bottle of pills from a drawer to his left.

"These are for the pain, take one" he told him.

Daryl looked at the small bottle and an idea popped to his mind.

"Can you please bring me some water? My throat is very dry..."

"Sure" told him Carson "I'll bring from the kitchen. I will be back soon"

Carson left the bottle on the dresser and walked out. Daryl waited to hear the door closing and with great difficulty he got up a bit just so his arm could reach the bottle. He laid back to bed as he grunted in pain. He felt his eyes stinging as he checked what the bottle was saying. It had an overdose warning. His hands trembled as he opened the bottle and he had tears in his eyes. This was the only way.

The bottle was almost full. Instead of taking one out, he got almost all and held them in his palm which was shaking.

Hot tears rolled down his eyes as he looked at them. Only with them he would finally get his wish granted and find some peace.

He didn't think about it much longer and swallowed them all. He rested his head back on the pillow and hoped that he wouldn't feel pain.

Carson returned about ten minutes later. The kitchen was two floors down and the elevator wasn't working. He hoped they would fix it tomorrow. If Daryl needed something they had to be able to bring it fast and not walking up and down the stairs.

He entered the room.

"Here is the water, sorry for being-"

Carson almost dropped the glass of water to the floor as he saw Daryl laying on the bed and he wasn't moving. He saw the bottle of pills in his hands and it was almost empty.

"Why Daryl, why?" Carson sobbed as panic was taking over him.

Daryl had started having foam in his mouth. He would get poisoned from overdosing.

Carson took fast a syringe from the drawer and gave him a shot of antidote. If that didn't work, Daryl would go into shock mode and it would be very likely that he would die.

Daryl's body had spams when he gave him the shot but it soon relaxed. Carson felt his pulse and it had steadied.

He let himself sob by Daryl's side. He couldn't believe that Daryl would go to that level.

Carson threw the bottle away. Negan would have killed him if Daryl died of overdose.

He covered his face with his hands and he sat by Daryl's side to wait for him to wake up.

\---

Daryl blinked his eyes and expected to be dead. Instead of that though he was at Carson's office once again. His suicide attempt had obviously not worked. Carson stirred by his side as he woke up. The doctor looked worn down. Daryl bet he had saved him.

Carson got up from his chair and looked at him in the eyes. He had been crying.

"Just why?" he asked him.

Daryl averted his eyes and wanted to start crying again.

"It was the only way" he told him.

"Daryl look at me" Carson demanded and Daryl did with his glassy eyes staring at him with pain.

"There is noone and I mean NOONE worth taking your life for. Not Negan and especially these monsters" Carson said to him raising his voice.

"I'm tired" answered Daryl as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Carson sighed and put his hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"You have qualities that most of the people in this compound can't even dream of having. You are loyal, true to yourself and to others, you don't need an army because your strengths lay within you, you hear me? You are a true survivor. Don't let them take that from you. These assholes will get what they deserve. You will live because you have to, this world needs you. They won't. Don't do them the favor or give them the satisfaction that they damaged you" Carson pleaded him.

Daryl was sobbing, he was such a mess.

"Please don't tell Negan" Daryl begged "who knows what he'll do if he finds out I tried to kill myself"

"I won't" said Carson, he wouldn't do that to him "but you need to promise me that you will not harm yourself EVER again"

Daryl looked at his hands and took a trembling breath.

"Fine, I promise" he said eventually.

Carson and Daryl talked for about an hour. He wanted to take Daryl's mind off what had happened so they talked about Rick, Alexandria and other light hearted topics. Daryl was in need to not be thinking right now. Slowly Daryl started to drift off to sleep as his words came out with difficulty. Carson stayed quiet and let him sleep. He got up and lowered the room's lights for it to be comfortable for Daryl to sleep. He decided to not go to his room today. Daryl could wake up in the middle of the night. Instead laid to the bed next to Daryl's and with a last glare at him, he fell asleep as well. Today had been a long, stressful and very tiring day. Especially for Daryl and what he had been through.

Negan woke up in the early hours of the morning. He knew that he had said he would wait but some things really didn't take delays. He got up from bed and he took Lucille with him as he walked out of the room. The Sanctuary was silent as everyone was still sleeping. He walked to the cells and he motioned for the guy standing on guard to open the cell they'd put Daryl's attackers. He told him to leave him alone and to not let anyone disturb him. The guys woke up from the sudden light.

Negan banged Lucille against the metal door to make more noise.

"Good morning sunshines" he told them mockingly.

"What the hell do you want from us?" asked one as they stood up.

Negan chuckled menacingly.

"I want you to answer to a very simple question. Who out of you scumbags raped Daryl? Oh I know you all helped but I'm just curious"

"I did" said David with almost proud.

Negan snapped and pulled out one big sharp knife. He stabbed the three before they could even react and threw David to the floor as he tried to attack him.

Negan's white T-shirt had turned bloody. David looked up at him as he saw his friends leaving their last breaths beside him.

"He will always be nothing but your little bitch" David spat out. "Someone meant...just to be used for other's pleasure"

Negan brought Lucille to his face and he hit him hard as David screamed in excruciating pain. This time there was no laughing like in the line up. Only pure hatred. He didn't stop until David's head was unrecognizable. When it was finally over , he was breathing fast. He walked out of the cell and told the guard to throw them all outside.

Sometimes revenge felt so damn good.

\---

Daryl woke up to a scream cutting the air. He looked at Carson who was still sleeping to the bed beside him.

He was still in pain and that...scream. It made his blood ran cold. He had an idea who's it might was.

Daryl curled up and pulled the bed's cover higher.

He expected to feel something. Anything. Satisfaction maybe. He could only feel his breath hitching. He forced himself to close his eyes again.

At least they wouldn't harm him again. That had to count for something.

Daryl woke up again to Negan walking into Carson's office.

Carson had been checking on Daryl and he made sure to give him one pill for the pain. Despite Daryl's promise that he wouldn't attempt suicide again, Carson couldn't take his chances. So he would be handing him the pills from now and on. Daryl was feeling very catatonic and he wasn't all that excited to see Negan.

"I'll leave you to talk" said Carson and Daryl gave him a pleading look. He didn't want to be left alone with Negan. Carson apologized with his eyes but he couldn't stay. It would be for the best to leave them to talk things out.

Negan had changed clothes after killing Daryl's attackers. It wouldn't be for the best to disturb Daryl even more.

He sighed as he sat down beside his bed.

"How are you feeling?" Negan asked him.

Daryl really didn't want to talk to him but he had to.

"I'm still in pain. Carson is taking care of me though" he said with a sore expression.

"I can take care of you too, you know" said Negan and found himself irritated. Only from him Daryl didn't accept help. "Anyway, it's fine" he continued as Daryl wasn't talking "just so you know that when Carson says you are free to leave, you'll be staying in my room. Can't risk it again"

Great now he would be forced to live in the same place with Negan.

"What do you want me to say Negan?" Daryl asked as his eyes were stinging "I got hurt because of you. You know how they called me? Negan's pet. You don't treat me like a human being" he spat out.

"If I didn't treat you like a human, I wouldn't have killed the guys who did that" Negan said as he crossed his arms in front of him "Exactly because I know that you're a human I took the decision to kill them"

"If you had just let me with my family none of this would have happened though" Daryl replied in a sharp tone.

"I know you're hurting but there are things that you do not understand" Negan told him "We are enemies. Either me will win or you. You refused to become a Savior. But you're still my prisoner. I want you to be healthy but get that. There is no version where we can coexist with your people"

Daryl had tears in his eyes.

"Leave me the hell alone Negan" he told him bitterly. He needed to cry on his own.

"Actually you know what?" Negan said to him "I won't leave. Do whatever you want, speak to me or don't, but I'm staying"

Daryl turned his back to him and bit his lip to not cry.

Just then Carson reappeared by the door and saw Daryl having turned his back at Negan and Negan looking at him with hesitation.

"Everything ok?" Carson asked.

"Yeah, just peachy" told him Negan although it was clear that nothing was ok. "I'll stay with Daryl, go do other things,I'll let you know when I'll leave" he continued.

Daryl let out a sob and Carson really wanted to stay by his side but Negan was in charge so he did as he was told and left.

He really wished Negan could get his shit together and see that he was one of the main reasons Daryl was suffering.

Daryl didn't know for how long he stayed quiet. Negan was still there though, he didn't leave.

He eventually got sore from laying on his side and he laid on his back instead.

"What do you want from me Negan?" he asked him eventually very frustrated.

"Nothing" answered Negan "I don't expect you to see that I'm trying here"

"So I'm the bad guy now for not giving you a chance?" asked Daryl. He was getting tired from this pointless conversation and he wasn't well already. "Tell me do you know what it's like to get beaten over the most insignificant things? To fear that you won't have food to eat the next day? To be locked up in a place you hate, by a person you hate and get raped maybe?! Don't answer, you don't. So stop putting the blame on me" he spat out.

"You are such a joy Daryl" told him Negan in frustration as he got fed up from the accusations. "There have been many times were the Sanctuary was suffering. I need to do everything I can for my people"

Daryl just stayed quiet. Negan would never get how he was feeling. He was so damn self centered that there was noone else that mattered but himself.

"Can you leave me alone now?" Daryl asked.

Negan considered saying "no" but Daryl was still in pain so it wouldn't be wise to argue any longer.

"Fine but we will continue this talk when Carson lets you leave from his office" Negan told him and got up.

With a last glare, he opened the door and went to find Carson.

Daryl so wished his suicide attempt had been successful. There were very rough days ahead of him with Negan and he really wasn't looking forward to them.


	2. Chapter 2

Carson tried to postpone letting Daryl leave since he knew that Negan wanted to have constant watch on him since what happened but three days later he couldn't keep him any longer. Daryl still felt some pain but the most was gone. His shame though couldn't go away. He replayed what happened in his mind and thought about how he should have been stronger, to fight them off. At least with Carson he felt safety, as Negan told him to lay down at his bed all he felt was embarrassment. He tried to persuade him to let him go to his own room but Negan denied his request. 

"When you are completely well only, not before" he said to him. 

Negan didn't leave him alone and instead sat at his office to check out some papers. Daryl pretended to be sleeping although he was wide awake and was staring at Negan through his half closed eyes. He was already very bored but he knew that he couldn't stand up either. Negan wanted him to stay in bed. He had no choices anymore. Whatever Negan wanted from him, he had to do it. He had taken full control over his life. 

Daryl got tired of pretending he was sleeping and he sat up. At least Negan's bed was very comfortable. Negan saw that he didn't sleep and looked up from his paperwork. 

Daryl sighed as he looked at him. 

"You know that you can go to continue with the room, right?" he questioned "you can always lock"

Negan stood up and walked towards the bed. 

"Yes, I know. I just don't want to leave you alone"

"Hmm..." Daryl mumbled. 

"I know what we can do" told him Negan with a smirk. 

Daryl frowned as he looked at him. He wouldn't like whatever involved Negan, for sure. 

\---

"Hotel?" asked Daryl as he checked out the board game. He had ages to play one. 

"Yep!" Negan answered as he started setting it up on the bed so Daryl didn't have to stand up. 

"Don't remember how to play" Daryl mumbled. 

"It's easy" said Negan "the point is to buy as many plots of land and then to build hotels so when I pass from your hotels I will have to pay"

"Right..." said Daryl unsure. 

Daryl was sure that Negan would win but somehow he was doing better than him and had managed to buy a lot of hotels. 

He checked Taj Mahals card and decided to buy it as well. He felt a sudden sadness as he saw the picture portrayed in the card. The world had so many places to see and he was stuck there. 

Negan saw him looking the card with puppy eyes and he sighed. 

"Do you think that these hotels will still be there?" he asked Daryl. 

Daryl left the card back down and he took a breath. 

"Don't know" he said eventually "most likely they will be ran over by now"

"Yeah maybe..." drawled Negan "so are you buying it?"

"Yes, I will" said Daryl as he picked up the card again. 

\---

Late at afternoon Negan offered to watch a movie in an old DVD player. Daryl didn't have anything better to do so he agreed. He and Negan got comfortable as he put on Mission Impossible. Daryl had always been a movie fan although his dad never took them to the cinema. 

Seeing Tom Cruise do all these stunts was pretty incredible. It helped him take his mind of his problems. Negan spent his time making comments on the movie which Daryl found very distracting. He tried his best to ignore him though. Close to the end Daryl started getting tired and his eyes began closing. 

Negan wanted to get a reaction from Daryl by making sarcastic comments on the actors, the plot and the movie in general but Daryl was straight forward ignoring them. He sighed to himself. He didn't know what he would do with this guy. Suddenly something hit his shoulder and realised it was Daryl's head. He looked down at him and he looked exhausted especially if he had fallen asleep on him. Negan lowered the sound and got more comfortable as he let Daryl sleep with his head resting on him. 

Daryl had been through a lot especially these days so it was logical to be that tired. In his sleepy situation, Daryl snuggled closer to him as he wrapped one arm around Negan. Negan's eyes widened but he didn't have the heart to get away from him. It was only nine o'clock but Negan turned off both the TV and the lights so they could sleep.

Somehow sleeping with Daryl so close to him wasn't that bad. 

\---

Negan woke up first in the morning and Daryl was sleeping inches away from him. He would have to leave him alone today since he wanted to help with the renovation. Maybe at some point Daryl would be better so he could come back to it as well. 

He decided to bring him that box with the books since Daryl would get bored for sure. He left the room quietly and walked to Daryl's. He picked up the box with the books but they fell to the floor since it couldn't hold their weight much longer. 

Negan groaned annoyed as he started picking them up from the floor. Stupid box, he thought. He gathered them almost all when he saw that one had fallen under Daryl's bed. He knelt down to pick it up when his eyes caught something else under the bed. He left the book and instead picked that other thing up which had gotten pretty dusty. His eyes widened as he saw a picture of himself hugging Lucille. What the hell was that doing here? Negan panicked and he started searching around. He picked up the bed sheets and under the pillow he saw Lucille's letter. 

Daryl had read it. Damn it, said Negan. He should have been checking him and what he sneaked to his room. Negan felt anger overtaking him. He had no right to be reading his letters. Also he had thrown his picture under the bed. He picked up both the letter and the picture and went back to his room. 

Daryl had just woken up and was whipping his eyes clear. 

"Good Morning" he told him as he saw him entering. 

"Don't think that it will be good" Negan answered as he dropped the letter in front of him and crossed his arms. "Wanna explain what this was doing to your room?"

Daryl swallowed dryly as he looked at it. He thought that he wouldn't discover it. 

"You put me to work on that room. Saw it and wanted to read it" he tried to explain. 

"You had absolutely no right" growled Negan. 

"Had no right to know what you did to your wife? She suffered as much as I do and I'm sure more" Daryl spat out as he got angry as well. Negan had no reason to be lecturing him. 

"You know nothing about Lucille, so don't pretend otherwise" Negan told him in anger. "What I did with my wife is none of your business"

"She felt as miserable as I do, that's what I got" Daryl said defiantly. 

"Wanna show you misery Daryl?" Negan spat out as he took him violently from the arm and made him stand up. 

"Hey!" Daryl said in surprise and pain "you are hurting me"

Negan dragged him by the arm out of his room and to their gates. 

Daryl was struggling to be left alone because his arm hurt but Negan wasn't listening. 

The guards on watch looked at them as Negan was dragging him along. 

"Open the gates" Negan ordered them. 

They complied and Negan pulled Daryl outside of the compound. 

Daryl was on the verge of crying because Negan was being very rough. 

Negan released him abruptly and pushed him forward. 

"Your wish was granted" he told him coldly "you're free"

"What?!" Daryl questioned very frustrated "without a weapon?"

"You made your choice with what you did. Go back to Alexandria and leave me the hell alone" Negan said raising his voice.

Daryl looked at him as he walked back to the Sanctuary and he closed the gates to his face. How in hell would he go home in his situation and without a weapon? He was only in pyjamas. Daryl sat down at the grass as he started sobbing.


	3. Chapter 3

Dwight saw Negan dragging Daryl out of the compound and he sighed to himself. Something serious must have happened for Negan to be acting like that especially since what happened to Daryl. Negan practically kicked him out of the Sanctuary and he didn't give him any weapons. Dwight was sure that he would die if he didn't do something. There was no way he could return to Alexandria in his situation. Hell even if he was completely well it would be almost impossible. Alexandria was miles away,if they were that close they would have discovered them way before they did. Negan saw him staring as he walked fast back inside and he snapped at him to "do his chores" instead of staring. 

"Screw it", thought Dwight as he walked to the Sanctuary's fence. There was a small opening in the back. He needed to get out and help him. Daryl could barely see where he was going from the tears in his eyes. Negan was being very unfair. Yes he may had let him go but he was miles away from his home and without any weapons. He had absolutely nothing. No food, no water, no car, not his crossbow. What kind of freedom was that? More like a death sentence. Who played games or watched movies with their captives and the next day was kicking them out? Negan apparently. 

Suddenly he heard growls from behind him. He turned his head and saw six walkers coming his way. He grabbed a rock and tried to kill them with that. He managed to kill three but he wasn't in no shape to be fighting. The other three came dangerously close to him. Maybe he should let them just bite him. It would be a way to get out of his problems. A knife got pressed to their heads and they fell down. Daryl looked up and saw Dwight who was the one to kill the walkers. 

"That was close" Dwight told him. 

"What are you doing here?" asked Daryl very confused. 

Dwight sighed frustrated. 

"We both know that you can't return to Alexandria. Negan shouldn't have done that, without knowing what happened between you"

"Why do you care about me all of sudden Dwight?" Daryl asked as he couldn't understand. 

"I'm sorry for what I did to you ok?" Dwight told him seriously "I've lost Sherry already, can't let you get killed because of Negan. He forced her to leave with his actions and now I may never see her again..." he sobbed. 

Daryl could feel Dwight's pain and he rested his hand on his shoulder. 

"I'm sure that you'll reunite eventually, Sherry loved you and there is nothing stronger than that"

Dwight stared at him as he was emotional. Whatever what happened between them felt so long away now. They needed each other right now. 

"Ok" said Dwight eventually "you can stay with me in my room. I'll find a way to sneak a car out to take you back to Alexandria. It's hard with Negan though. It's not possible to return to Alexandria without a car and he knows it"

"Won't he notice if I'm back at the Sanctuary?" asked Daryl. It was very dangerous to stay there when he had kicked him out. 

"It won't be easy, you'll need to stay hidden but at night you can go out when everyone is sleeping. It won't be for long after all"

"Let's hope it works..." drawled Daryl unsure. 

\---

Living hidden up was a completely different experience. He wasn't a prisoner but still felt like it. Dwight had to leave him alone in order to not draw suspicions. He told him he would bring him lunch later. He thought of Negan that was unaware that he was still there. He would get mad if he discovered what Dwight did. Dwight's room wasn't that big but it had two beds and it wasn't as small as his. It would do for now. He laid down and decided to get some sleep. 

Two floors up Negan was pacing back and forth fumming. He regretted letting Daryl go but he was so angry. Lucille was a very sensitive subject to him and didn't want anyone sneaking into his past. He was trying hard to forget it after all. They were doing better with Daryl, why the hell had he do that? He thought of Daryl's pained look as he closed the gates to his face. It wasn't the best when it's been only some days since Daryl got raped. But all he could think was that he wanted him gone. 

He sighed to himself. Daryl was more than capable to protect himself. He would go back to his precious home and plan how to take him down. It was pointless to be keeping him as a prisoner anymore either way. He would never become part of the Sanctuary. Just a guy that was forced to be staying there. He looked at his bed and felt weird to not see him there. No matter what Daryl did, he had started to care for him. That's what he got for caring though. 

He was betrayed and hurt.


	4. Chapter 4

"Didn't you eat lunch already?" asked the lady that was handing out the food disks as she raised her eyebrows. 

Dwight groaned internally, sometimes everyone at the Sanctuary got him so mad. 

"I'm one of the most high ranked Saviors" told her Dwight as he crossed his arms in front of him and he glared at her annoyed "I can take as much food as I want"

"Fine" huffed she eventually "but if Negan finds out, you will be to blame, not me"

"I'll keep it in mind" said Dwight as he grabbed the disk and turned his back to her. 

Why everything had to be so hard in this place? Now he would have to worry if he could keep feeding Daryl. From Negan's selfish behavior, to taking a bit more food, they could drive you crazy in this compound. He had to get Daryl out of there and soon. He had to return back to his family before Negan found out that he was still there. 

The problem was "how". There was no way to sneak a car out without being checked where you were going. Daryl to leave on his own in his situation was impossible. Negan was an asshole for kicking him out. Whatever happened, wasn't an excuse. 

Daryl was better off without him. He had already suffered enough the first times. Not to mention now with David and the others attacking him. Negan had to snap out of his anger soon and realise that he was being a dick to everyone around him or they would all turn against him eventually. He wasn't as invincible as he thought. 

Dwight opened the door to his room and Daryl flinched back scared. He must had PTSD or something, thought Dwight. It wasn't normal to be scared from a door opening. That or he was afraid that Negan would discover his staying there. He opted not to comment on it and instead closed the door fast behind him. 

"Hey" he told him "brought lunch. You must be hungry by now"

Daryl nodded with a sore expression and started eating. 

\---

Carson saw Negan staring out of a window and walked to him. He had to know how Daryl was. He didn't have the chance to check on him yet. 

"Negan how is Daryl?" he asked. 

Negan let out an angry huff of air and turned to him. 

"Daryl is not here anymore"

Carson was stunned by the news. 

"What do you mean? Where is he?" 

"I kicked him out earlier" Negan admitted. 

Carson's expression turned to anger. Kicked him out? He was raped for God's shake. 

"What the hell do you mean "kicked him out"?!" he demanded. It was very rare for him to get mad but he was for sure getting now. 

"You don't know what he did. So I pulled him out of the compound" Negan tried to defend himself. 

"He got raped Negan!" Carson spat out as he raised his voice. "Don't care what he did that you think justifies throwing him out. There were other ways to show him that he wasn't ok. Kicking an injured man out when there are Walkers everywhere is...-" Carson was so angry that he was at a loss of words. 

Negan felt shame at Carson's words as he realised the severity of what he had done. 

"I took an oath to not tell you this, but I will just to get how wrong you were"

"Tell me what?"

"The first night after Daryl got raped when he was laying at my office, he asked me for a water and walked downstairs to bring him one glass. When I came back he had swallowed almost whole the bottle of painkillers in an attempt to kill himself. I saved him literally last minute" Carson spat out. 

Negan's eyes widened as he looked at Carson shocked. 

"Who says he won't try to kill himself again out of despair?!" Carson demanded. 

Negan couldn't find anything to say. Carson turned his back to him and left fast. He couldn't stand to even see him. 

Negan was left all alone to that empty corridor as tears rolled down his cheeks. He had screwed up big time. 

If Lucille was here she would most likely slap or spit him and he would deserve it one hundred precent.


	5. Chapter 5

It was still early in the morning when Dwight got awoken by someone knocking on his door. Dwight was still very sleepy but he got panicked immediately. Who was it this hour? 

"Dwight, it's me Negan. Open up" Negan told him. 

Dwight shook Daryl who thankfully woke up easily. 

"Daryl" he whispered to him urgently "it's Negan outside"

Daryl's eyes widened and he sat up fast. He looked around and decided to hide under his bed. Dwight made sure he was not seen and walked fast to open the door trying to act normal. 

"Finally" said Negan as soon as he saw him. He moved past Dwight and he entered his room while swinging Lucille. 

Shit, thought Dwight. What he wanted from him first thing in the morning? 

Negan looked around the room and he noticed that both the beds were unmade. Plus there was a left over disk with food. 

Daryl was keeping his breath hoping he would leave soon. That guy couldn't leave him in peace. Even when he was unaware of him still being there, he had to mess him up. He sighed quietly and tried to not move at all. 

Negan turned to Dwight. 

"Did you have stayovers?" he questioned. 

Dwight crossed his arms defensively. 

"No I didn't" he said. Negan was implying he had gotten laid apparently. He would never betray Sherry. "Are you here to question my love life?"

"Jeez relax" told him Negan exasperated. He didn't ask something that bad in his opinion. The room looked like another person had stayed there as well. "Just wanted to tell you to get dressed now. We are going to Alexandria. I'll wait outside. Put something on and we are leaving"

Dwight groaned to himself. What did he want to do at Alexandria? There wasn't time for a pickup yet. What annoyed him the most was that he couldn't take Daryl with him. 

"Fine" he said coldly as he started getting dressed.

Daryl felt anxiety growing inside him that they were going to Alexandria. He was very scared of what Negan would do there. He just wished Dwight would prevent him from hurting anyone. 

Dwight left the room without managing to talk to Daryl. When he closed the door, Daryl got out and sat at the bed. He would lose his mind from the anxiety until they came back. 

What did he want from his friends? Like there wasn't enough he had done already. 

He laid back down again and stared at the ceiling. Maybe he should reveal himself instead of continuing this hiding game. Perhaps Negan would be more understanding this time and let him go to Alexandria for real this time. He didn't plan on apologizing about Lucille though, he felt no regrets for reading that letter. If anything Negan should tell him what he did to her and where she was now. Although the most likely was that she had died a long time ago. 

Daryl was still feeling very sore. He knew that Carson was like some floors up but he couldn't go see him. He really wanted someone to talk to though who would understand his pain even for a little bit. 

He really wished all this would be over soon so he could be with his friends again. Rick was the only one who understood him completely. He had been through so much as well after all. Daryl didn't know if he would tell them about the rape though. It would only anger and sadden them. Maybe he should keep it for himself. What was done, was done, after all. 

He felt exhausted again so he thought to sleep again. It's not like he had anything else to do either way.


	6. Chapter 6

Dwight was moody the whole ride to Alexandria. He wanted to tell Negan the truth just to piss him off and realize perhaps what he had almost done by throwing Daryl out defenceless, which was getting him killed. 

"What's up with the face?" questioned Negan as they were approaching Alexandria. 

"Didn't you let Daryl go just the other day?" Dwight asked him "what are we doing here again?"

"Want to have a talk with him and Rick" answered Negan defensively "He may was let go but need them to remember their position. Don't want them to get any smart ideas"

Dwight found it funny that Negan thought that Daryl would have made it back home. 

He parked outside Alexandria's gates and Negan told him to wait there. Dwight hoped he wouldn't cause further problems. He bet that Daryl was already anxious with this sudden trip.

Negan banged Lucille against the metal door and Rick appeared looking very annoyed to see him again. 

"Well hello there" told him Negan as he smirked. 

"Do you want to wake up the whole Alexandria?" asked Rick as he scoffed at him. 

"Open up and I won't wake them up" Negan told him. It was too early for all that. 

Rick was forced to do what he told him but he wasn't happy at all. 

"Your buddy is hiding from me?" questioned Negan. He wanted to see Daryl, but he bet he would be holled up somewhere after kicking him out of the Sanctuary. 

"My who?" Rick asked as he crossed his arms in front of him. He had no idea what Negan was talking about. 

Negan frowned at his reaction. 

"Isn't Daryl here?" he demanded to know. 

Rick looked at him like he was crazy. 

"Of course he is not here. You are keeping him prisoner" Rick told him bitterly. 

Shit, Negan thought. Where the hell was Daryl then? 

"Tell me he escaped?" he asked hopefully. 

Negan was panicking. Daryl didn't return to his home. His mind went through all the possibilities. From a Walker biting him to attempting suicide again. He had messed up big time by throwing him out like that without anything. All he wanted was to return back to the Sanctuary and send some people to search for him. 

"I have to go" he announced and left quickly, leaving a Rick looking at him with a frown. He really wished Daryl had managed to escape. 

Dwight saw Negan being in a very weird mood and he knew that he may had discovered that Daryl didn't return. He wasn't planning on telling him the truth though. Good if he suffered for once. He didn't feel sorry at all. Negan deserved all the guilt for what he had done. 

\---

Negan told Dwight to organise a team to go out and search for Daryl. Dwight was not happy at all to hear that. All he wanted to do was to get back to his room and see how Daryl was doing than supposedly going out there and looking for him. But it would make Negan suspicious if he declined to do what he asked him. He sighed to himself and went to do as he had told him. 

Negan was pacing aimlessly around the compound without knowing what to do. He couldn't help much if he went out there as well. There were guys who knew the areas way better than him. All he could do was to wait and hope that Daryl would be found alive. He was passing from the dining hall when the lady that was responsible for dinner saw him. 

"Sir could I speak to you?" she asked. 

"Yes" said Negan as he stopped and turned to her "is there something wrong?"

"Just to let you know that Dwight had been taking two disks of food these days. Don't know if it is allowed by you..." she drawled unsure. 

Negan frowned at that. So his suspicions on Dwight had been correct. He had someone else to his room as well. 

"I'll deal with it" he told her as he turned to the opposite direction. He really wanted to know who Dwight was keeping to his room. Because that person could go out and eat themselves. Something he was hiding. 

He got to Dwight's room and he opened the door expecting to see someone. Instead he heard the water running in the shower. The bedsheets were still warm also. 

Negan didn't appreciate it at all when people were lying to him and Dwight had done it with ease. He was gonna discover that person and Dwight would be in trouble when he returned. He sat quietly at Dwight's bed and waited for his "visitor" to get out so they could have a talk. 

Daryl was sick from staying in bed. He was worrying a lot of what Negan was doing at Alexandria. He sighed to himself and got up. Maybe a shower would relax him. He grabbed a new pair of clothes that Dwight had found for him and got to the shower. It was quite small but it would do. He really hoped they found a way to get out of there soon. 

He took time to shower and wash his hair. The soreness had been minimized but he still felt weird about the whole thing. It wasn't something he could get over from one day to the next. 

Daryl sighed to himself as he dried with the towel. He put on the clothes and looked himself at the small mirror. The anxiety and tiredness was written all over his face. He really dreaded having to stay hidden but at least he wished that Dwight would return soon. 

He got out of the bathroom while drying his hair when suddenly he realised someone else was in the room. Someone who was equally shocked to see him. 

"Well, well ,what do we have here?" he heard Negan saying. 

Somehow he discovered it and who knows what he would be doing to him.


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl felt his heart beating fast. He sighed frustrated as he left the towel to his bed and sat down next to it. 

"You caught me, congratulations" he told Negan, as he looked at him with hooded eyes. 

"How long have you been here?" questioned Negan. 

Daryl knew that this was the calm before the storm. He wanted to know Dwight's role apparently. 

"Since you kicked me out. If Dwight hadn't interfered and killed some Walkers, I would have gotten bit. Since then he offered me to stay here..." Daryl said to him feeling very disappointed that their plan didn't work and also fear for what was coming. 

"Well I went to Alexandria this morning as you must know since you heard it and wanted to see you. When I found out that you never returned, I sent a search team to look for you. Dwight had been acting weird though and thought to check it out" Negan told him.

"If you need to punish someone, punish me. Without Dwight I wouldn't be here now" he said as he was trying to accept his fate. 

Negan let out a frustrated sigh. 

"I'm not gonna punish neither of you" he told Daryl "I shouldn't have thrown you out. It was wrong to do that to you after... After everything. So either stay here, to your room upstairs, in general ,wherever you want. Also go eat normally to the dining hall. Dwight will gather cockroaches if he continues this tactic" he continued showing him the leftover food. 

"Ok..." Daryl told him unsure. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Negan wasn't letting him go ,but he could roam freely from now and on. 

"Go see Carson when you feel like it" Negan said to him as he stood up and with a last glare he left him alone. 

He closed the door behind him and Daryl felt like he was dreaming or something. He laid down and felt relief for the first time after days. 

\---

Negan went to his bedroom and locked himself in. 

Daryl had been staying two floors down and he was clueless. The guy looked way worse than before he threw him out. The least he could do for him was to offer him some freedom. He wasn't risking it again to let him go. Whenever he felt like Daryl should go home, he would be the one taking him back. 

At least he was still alive, that was the most important thing. It was heartbreaking that he expected to be punished. He couldn't blame him though. He hadn't given him another view of him but that of a heartless monster who would punish him even if he got saved from the fate he had sent him to and didn't die. 

He would definitely be keeping an eye on him though. There was no chance he would allow someone attacking him again. But from a distance. Daryl didn't trust him enough to say that he had been staying to the Sanctuary so it was logical that he wouldn't want to have him by his side constantly, like he used to. 

Something inside him was itching to have him to his room again ,but he knew that humans didn't work like that. He should give him time and the necessary space to breathe. They had to talk, Daryl and he ,about Lucille and everything that happened, but it was the best to let some time pass first. 

\---

Dwight returned to his room very tired after a long time of pretending to be searching for Daryl when he knew exactly where he was. He wanted to go get them lunch but he had to see Daryl first ,who had been left stuck in a room without company. 

He found him laying to his bed. 

Dwight sat down as well letting out a tired sigh. 

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone all day, you heard Negan though-"

"He found out" Daryl announced as he sat up. 

"What?" asked Dwight as his eyes widened. 

"From the food he realised it. I was taking a shower and almost had a heart attack when I saw him..." Daryl drawled. 

"And?" Dwight asked with worry. 

"Nothing. He didn't seem to be mad. Even let me to roam around freely from now and on. Eat with you at the dining hall etc..."

Dwight sighed in relief although he wasn't entirely convinced of Negan's motives. It seemed too good to be true. 

"Great, let's go eat then" told him Dwight as he patted his shoulder ,trying to comfort him "you have to be tired of these four walls"

Daryl nodded and he felt very weird opening the door and getting out. It also made him feel like a weight was taken off from him.

They went to the cafeteria and some heads turned to look at him. Dwight told him to ignore them though. This was Daryl's first time out and he was gonna enjoy it. 

The lady that was managing the disks was dumbfounded as she saw them casually walking her way. 

"Two disks" said Dwight "of something good. Oh and next time you rat me out, Negan will be the least of your worries" he told her warningly because he knew that she had told him. 

She looked at them both but didn't say something in return. 

They sat down and Daryl felt so good to be sitting at a table again and be eating. 

"Look" started Dwight "I'm not saying that it's not good on his part that he let you go free around the Sanctuary, but I do not trust him. You saw how quickly he can change his mind. You have to be cautious"

Daryl sighed as he took a bite. 

"Yes I know. It's not like I've calmed down now. My ultimate goal is to go home. I'm still his prisoner. But at least to not have to hide anymore..."

Just in time he saw that Negan was there to get some food. 

He stared at him from their table and Negan looked back at him with an unreadable expression. He took a disk and went to sit alone. Most had already finished eating and were off to either go to their rooms or do something else. 

Daryl and Dwight ate mostly in silence and Dwight let out a tired yawn. He had gotten tired all day. Daryl wasn't on the other hand being in bed most of his time. 

"I'll go out for a bit" he told Dwight "not out, out, I just want to get some fresh air at last"

Dwight looked unsure. 

"Ok" he said eventually "just, be careful"

"I will. Goodnight Dwight" told him Daryl. 

He took a deep breath and walked out. Thankfully there wasn't someone out there at that time. He could hear the Walkers growling in the distance ,but he tuned them off. 

It had a bit of air ,but nothing too uncomfortable. 

His mind wandered back to the time he had been caught escaping. That they had beat him up and Negan threatening him with Lucille. Back then he wasn't allowed to even go out. At least now he had gained some things which hopefully would help his mood. 

He sat at the stairs and just stared at the sky and stars. He thought he saw one falling or was it his eyes playing games? He missed the times of carefreeness when he was out in the woods. Sure ,the Walkers would always be a threat, but he didn't have to deal with imprisonment and fighting or in general who would get to win who. Truth be told he never even cared for all that. 

Yet he had been placed in the middle of it all ,despite not wanting to.


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl woke up and felt more light than usually. He dreaded to wake up and remember where he was, but today he felt more comfortable knowing that he wouldn't have to hide from Negan. They had breakfast with Dwight which was great to at least have someone to keep him company but then Dwight had to go do some things around the Sanctuary. 

Daryl laid down in bed for about an hour but he got tired of just being useless. Maybe he could find something to occupy himself with. He went out and thought to go upstairs. Clifton had been working alone at the room's renovation since Negan had to be running the compound as well. He was ok with it though. It made him feel good to be putting his knowledge in use again. Daryl walked hesitantly towards the room that Negan had made him help him with. He had hated having to work with Negan but maybe he would see him differently if he helped out as much he could. Plus he really wanted to do something to be useful around there. 

He opened the door hesitantly and saw that only Clifton was there. Daryl sighed in relief. Clifton was more accepting than Negan. Perhaps he would let him help. 

Clifton saw him entering the room and smiled at him. 

"Hey Daryl, it's been a while since we saw each other" he told him friendly. 

Daryl let out a nervous sigh.

"Yes, a lot happened... I was wondering if you wanted any help...?" he said hesitantly. 

"Sure, if you feel like it" Clifton told him with a smile. 

"Yes, I would like to help actually" said Daryl. 

\---

Daryl had been painting the wall with Clifton's instructions. This was quite fun actually. 

"You are doing very good" told him Clifton as Daryl was paying attention to detail and not hurrying up just because. 

"Not good as you, but thank you" Daryl told him as he was embarrassed to be complemented. 

"If you feel tired tell me though, you don't have to pressure yourself"

"I'm ok" said Daryl "it's good to be occupied with something. Even if it is that room..." he drawled unsure. 

"What do you mean?" questioned Clifton. 

"Negan told me he wants to turn it into a torture chamber..." Daryl told him as he bit his lip with worry. Would the torture still happen? He wished no. 

Clifton looked at him in surprise and he let out a laugh. 

"What?" asked Daryl confused. 

"Trust me Daryl, the design that Negan wants has nothing to do with a "torture chamber", far from it in fact. He likes to mess with people. Do you seriously think that I would help if that was the case?"

"Don't know..." Daryl said hesitantly "thought he made you do it or something"

"Yes because to torture someone you need to make a whole renovation and change the design...His victims would be like " Eww it sucks, it's not renovated " Clifton told him seriously. 

Daryl looked at him and a chuckle escaped him. 

They both started laughing then. 

"You are right" Daryl told him as they both had tears from laughter in their eyes. 

"See" said Clifton good naturedly ,as they still laughed. 

\---

Negan sighed frustrated. Running the Sanctuary could be tiring and to have only that would be ok. He had the rest of the communities to deal with as well. He finally finished and thought to go help Clifton who had been left alone. Negan had been neglecting to deal with the renovation he wanted to make. Clifton wasn't young though, he shouldn't get to do everything on his own. 

He approached the room and heard laughs coming from inside. Who was it with Clifton, Negan thought confused. He had ages to hear Clifton laugh so much. Negan opened the door and saw that Daryl was there , who seemed to have a lighter mood than yesterday and he was helping Clifton without himself having to make him do it. Negan was actually surprised. When he gave him free pass to roam around he didn't do it on the prospect to have him working. Daryl needed rest still. But apparently he wanted to help. Not only that but he seemed to have had a good time doing so judging by him laughing with Clifton. 

"Negan" greeted him Clifton as he saw him. 

Daryl's smile started fading when he took notice of Negan. He didn't want him thinking he was having fun. Daryl was scared that Negan would take it the wrong way. But he actually was having fun, laughing with Clifton, he was just afraid to admit that it was possible to have a good time at the Sanctuary, despite Daryl thinking this place was all about misery. It turned out that with good company it wasn't half bad as he believed. 

"Daryl helped me out a lot" told him Clifton as he saw the tension between Negan and Daryl. 

"I see that" Negan answered. Daryl indeed had helped. 

Daryl's cheeks turned to a shade of red and averted his eyes. 

"You did enough though for one day Daryl" said Clifton "it's almost noon. You should go eat" he told him. 

"Don't worry Clifton" intervened Negan who was searching for ways to spent time with Daryl "I'll take care for that"

Clifton bid them goodbye and Negan with Daryl walked out of the room. 

"Would you like to have dinner together?" questioned Negan. 

Daryl was unsure if he wanted to or not, but couldn't find himself to decline. 

"Ok..." he drawled unsure. He hoped it would go smoothly.


	9. Chapter 9

Negan led him to his room and Daryl walked beside him with hesitation. He couldn't get out of his mind when Negan had dragged him out. He knew it was because he got angry with him, but still he couldn't help replaying it in his head. It was very cruel on Negan's part to kick him out without even a weapon. If at least gave him something, he might have survived although he knew that Alexandria was far from the Sanctuary. Daryl couldn't help but think that this may was his only chance to return to his home. 

Negan saw that Daryl's mood darkened as they got to his room and sighed. They had rice with vegetables today and thankfully it was still warm. He didn't feel like going to the dinining hall. Preferred the privacy now that he was alone with Daryl at last. Their final moments in this room had been tense. Daryl ate half his food without talking to him. 

"I-" started Negan unsure "Owe you an apology..." he drawled with regret. 

Daryl averted from looking at him. He was afraid that Negan would want them to talk. 

"You don't have to apologize" he told him plainly. 

"I do because I didn't treat you ok" mumbled Negan "you got attacked exactly why I brought you here again and then got very angry without thinking what you've been through"

Daryl sighed as he looked Negan right square in the eyes. 

"I will admit that I took the letter in hopes of finding something to use against you" Daryl told him "I wanted to hurt you back. Plus Lucille was supposed to be only the name of a barbed wired bat that killed two of my best friends. I never expected that behind the name was your... wife" he said hesitantly. 

Negan was very conflicted by Daryl admitting that his goal was to hurt him, but then again he had hurt him first. 

"Yes, Lucille was my wife. As you read she had cancer. You were also right about the way I treated her. I was very in love with her and she was too. I mean she was willing to deal with my bullshit...that alone says a lot about her. She got sick near the start of the Apocalypse and her health was getting worse fast. You read it yourself. I was not there for her. At least not until the very final moments. I was sleeping with other women instead of being there for her" Negan said to him with a sore expression "I realised how wrong I had treated her when she was in the hospital. There was nothing they could do. Her cancer had spread. Maybe she just gave up, don't know for sure..."

"How she reacted when she saw you again?" questioned Daryl. 

"I expected her to be mad. She knew that I was cheating on her. Yet she forgave everything. Told me that she was happy I came to see her" Negan took a trembling breath "her strength left her soon after that and she turned to one of them - she couldn't even get to die peacefully. That's when I understood that the Apocalypse was there. I couldn't put her down, I met a man who did it for me. It turned out he was at the hospital and he was to go to prison after getting well. He had killed people before. A criminal shot my wife. At least he died soon after that day. I would have killed him myself if he didn't get bit. He was far from a good person. Lucille deserved better than that" 

"I'm sorry" said Daryl who didn't expect to hear all that "she seemed like a special kind of person"

"She was" Negan told him, as he let out a deep sigh. He stood up and walked to his bedside table. He opened the drawer and got something out. He approached their table again and left something in front of him. It was a half picture. There was a woman with long brown hair and hazel eyes, dressed in winter clothes and she was smiling brightly at the camera. 

"This is the other half of the picture" Negan admitted "I cut it myself after she died. Didn't want to keep it as it was with the two of us. I wanted to see only her"

Daryl took the picture carefully and stared at it. She looked very happy in this picture. 

Negan sat down again. 

"The bat was made from my grief. I found a forgotten baseball bat at an abandoned house and wrapped it in barbed wire. It became my weapon. I thought it was justified to name it after her. Since it was supposed to protect me. It's use expanded far from protection though, it became something I killed people with. She would have beat me up if she saw that I named a murder weapon after her" Negan let out a bitter laugh. 

"I bet she would have..." Daryl told him unsure. 

"Now you know" said Negan simply as he took the picture back. 

"Yes, I know" Daryl said although he wished he didn't after all that. "I shouldn't have been looking through your things"

"I get now why you did it. I mean I didn't want to, but I was the one to make you work on that room" Negan said with a shrug. 

"Why didn't you punish me from staying here despite the fact that you kicked me out?" Daryl asked hesitantly. 

Negan looked at him intensely as he felt his eyes stinging. 

"Because you both felt miserable and it was my fault" he told him eventually. 

Daryl stared at him and didn't know what to say. He had indeed felt miserable there but maybe things could change and not be all misery.


	10. Chapter 10

"I want us to try and change the relationship between us" told him Negan "I don't wish to be threatening you anymore. What I want from you is try to comply with what I'm saying to you sometimes. Not to be ordering you to do things, just to hear me out now and then..." he said. 

"So you won't lock me up if I don't do what you say?" asked Daryl as he raised his eyebrows. 

"No, I'll try to be civil towards you, but you have to behave as well. Deal?"

Daryl knew very well that Negan had the upper hand as he was his prisoner, but he wouldn't say no to not be ordering him anymore. 

"Ok, deal..." drawled Daryl unsure. 

Negan stood up and got by his side. 

"I'm serious Daryl" he told him as he looked him in the eyes. 

Daryl sighed to himself. 

"Sorry for being sceptical but I've not exactly been treated well all this time..."

"I know and that's why I'll try to change" said Negan trying to show him that he was serious. "Do you want us to play a board game? I liked us playing the other day" he asked him hopefully. 

Daryl was still unsure but he should give him one chance. 

"Sure" he said eventually as a smirk spread on Negan's face. 

\---

"Hmm target to H 4" said Daryl thoughtfully. 

"Can't believe it!" exclaimed Negan "you sank my ship"

"Erm isn't that the point of Battleship?" asked Daryl. 

"Yes" said Negan with a chuckle "it's just I don't like losing"

"Hmm something I've understood..." drawled Daryl with a tone of sarcasm. "Where did you find all these board games?"

"On a run" said Negan as he thought of his next move "found a play store"

"I've missed runs..." said Daryl with sadness as he thought about it. 

Negan looked at him and he could get his sadness. He had been locked up quite a lot. 

"We can go together" told him Negan casually. 

"Really?" questioned Daryl surprised. 

"Hmm yes" answered Negan like it wasn't that important "but Carson will say the " ok " first. Can't have you out there and being unwell"

"I'm ok now" said Daryl a bit defensively. He didn't want to appear weak because of his attack. 

Negan's eyes softened a bit as he looked at him. 

"Yes, I'm not saying that you are not. Just to ask what he thinks as well"

"Ok" answered Daryl. He would have to see Carson either way. It would do him good to talk. 

"Great, now that's settled, target to A 5" Negan said as he grinned. 

"There's no ship there" said Daryl as he laughed at Negan's disappointed expression. 

\---  
Daryl had spent his whole day with Negan without even realising it. 

"Do you want to stay here today?" Negan asked him. He had missed having him beside him. 

"Are you sure that you want me? I may take over your bed again" Daryl joked. 

"Fine by me" Negan joked back. 

"Ok then..." said Daryl although it was a bit weird to be sleeping at the same bed. They've done it twice though. Plus Negan's bed was king size. 

Negan gave him pyjamas and Daryl changed to the bathroom. 

He sat down at the bed and his eyes teared up out of sudden. 

Negan had his back turned to him and was looking for a blanket. 

"Hope that's ok...-" he started as he turned to face Daryl and saw him crying. 

Negan sat beside him quickly. 

"Hey what is wrong?" he asked feeling bad that Daryl was crying. 

"Nothing" said Daryl "I'm just sappy perhaps..." It wasn't that he was sad about something in particular. 

"Lay down , it will help" offered Negan as he eyed him worried. He knew that these things could may as well be depression. Crying out of sudden etc. 

Daryl complied and Negan covered him with a blanket. 

He got to his side and laid down as well. Daryl moved closer to him as he closed his eyes. 

"Sleep Daryl" told him Negan quietly. 

Daryl hummed as he snuggled closer to him. Negan let him. Perhaps it would help him calm down. 

He sighed to himself as he turned off the light beside him.


	11. Chapter 11

Daryl woke up and his arm was wrapped around Negan's warm body. He felt guilt that he would ever find comfort to hug him and in general be so close to him, but he did. Now that he was actively trying to treat him better, he found himself wanting to give Negan a chance. Daryl sighed. His reaction could be caused because he had been so lonely and he was in desperate need of someone to show him some kindness. Or maybe it was that Negan could offer reassurance (when he wanted to and he wasn't an asshole). Either way Daryl didn't want to stay to his side of the bed. If he was being a fool for showing Negan such trust, only time would tell. But when Negan could be mistreating him again, instead he let him snuggle to him. 

Negan stirred beside him and blinked his eyes. He was very different like his usual self. Way more calm and not acting aggressively like most of the times. Negan looked at him and saw that he was awake. 

"Hey" he said in a soft tone "you ok?" 

Daryl cleared his eyes and nodded. 

"Yeah better" he told him as he put his arm around Negan again. 

"You did take over my bed after all..." Negan told him lightly. Daryl did occupy the most space since he was on him like a squid. 

"The dark side has warmth" said Daryl making a nerdy reference. Huh, Eugene would be proud. 

Negan let out a chuckle at that. 

"I'm the dark side?" he asked Daryl. 

"Hmm I'm with the Force" said Daryl "plus you know you are on the dark side"

"Maybe I could be with the Force as well" Negan answered jokingly. 

"Perhaps you could be a Skywalker, we'll see" Daryl told him as he realized they had been talking about their communities using Star Wars terms. 

"Glad that I could serve as a warmer" Negan laughed as he sat up. "What do you want to do today?" he asked him. 

Daryl looked unsure. 

"Help Clifton? Don't know..." he answered. 

"Yeah I want to help as well, I couldn't these days so much" Negan told him. 

"A torture chamber is a necessity after all..." drawled Daryl as Negan's cheeks redened a bit ,remembering the lie he had told him. 

"Of course" said Negan as he smirked "the dark side has these things"

"Yeah , I don't doubt it" Daryl told him with a tone of sarcasm "it would be a shame to stain the carpets after all..."

"Exactly" said Negan as he threw a pillow to his face and he chuckled. "Let's go have breakfast ,you prick"

\---  
He and Daryl got dressed and they walked to the cafeteria still having this jokey mood between them. Daryl felt more light hearted than he had never been before at the Sanctuary. 

Some eyes turned to look at them and there were also some murmurs at seeing them together. Daryl bet that they knew he was a prisoner and they must wondered what he was doing walking casually amongst them and having breakfast. He tried to ignore the heaviness in his heart at that thought ,as Negan gave him an encouraging smile. Since he knew where he stood with Negan and that he was trying to view him as equal, he shouldn't care what others would think or say. Only he knew what was happening between him and Negan and noone else. 

"Hey I know that look" said Negan as they sat down to eat. "Tell me what bothers you?" he asked. 

Daryl cut a small piece of bread as he chew it slowly. 

"I-" he started but he was cut by a cough coming from someone by their table. 

"Good morning Negan" said a guy with a mustache as he grinned. Daryl recognised that he was Simon and felt instant hatred. He knew from Rick what he had done to Alexandria when he was "searching" for him. They had teared the place apart. At least Negan ,despite his threats, he didn't do what Simon had done. 

"Morning Simon" Negan answered as he looked at him. Daryl shot him an angry glare instead. Simon saw it and turned his attention to him. 

"It's a small word we live in, Daryl" he told him "it's easy to " get discovered " Simon said pointedly. 

"It sure is" answered Daryl defiantly "but it's easy to do other things as well exactly because it's a small world" Like getting revenge for example, Daryl thought. 

"Not so certain about that" Simon shot back at him. 

Negan noticed the tension between them and thought it would be for the best to end this conversation now. 

"Simon we will talk later, that is not the place and time" he told him. 

Simon gave Daryl one more degrading glare and he nodded. 

"Sure boss" he said as he left. 

Daryl was frustrated by all that. Simon had almost destroyed his home when searching for him. 

"What did you want to tell me?" asked Negan as he saw Daryl's moody expression. 

"Nothing, it doesn't matter..." drawled Daryl ,as he continued eating.


	12. Chapter 12

"I am so glad that you are alive Daryl" said Carson in relief. After noon ,Daryl left Clifton and Negan to continue with the room and decided to see Carson at last. Negan had been quite supportive of him going, so he didn't have problems of that kind. He still felt very weird that Negan was letting him do things on his own, instead of controlling him. Which didn't mean that he was free of course, but better than nothing. 

"Yeah..." drawled Daryl "thanks to Dwight for hiding me to his room"

"You should have come see me Daryl" told him Carson, as he sighed. 

"Couldn't risk it. I didn't know how he would react to me still being here despite kicking me out..." Daryl said with a sore expression. 

"Do you want to tell me what caused Negan to do something like that?" Carson questioned. 

Daryl could tell him, but then again he had already delved too deep into Negan's past, he shouldn't be sharing this information with others. At least if he wanted for Negan not to kill him. 

"I can't" he told him eventually "I did something he didn't like and that's why he got so angry. Don't regret doing it though"

Carson let out a sigh. 

"I was mad when I found out" Carson said bitterly "Whatever happened, this was madness, kicking you out like that"

"Believe me, I was shocked as well" Daryl told him "When I think that I can forget it, well it comes back in my mind. It was just cruel, don't know. Not that I should be that surprised, he hasn't exactly treated me well..."

"Now how are things between you?" Carson asked. 

"He said that he won't be ordering me anymore, but don't know. Negan does whatever he wants. He may start hurting me again" Daryl told Carson as he looked at his hands. 

"Well I'm here for you" Carson promised him "If he does anything out of line, you come and tell me"

"I'm not so scared of Negan right now, but for the compound" Daryl told him feeling sadness filling him up "I just...don't belong here"

Carson looked at him with sympathy. 

"It hasn't been easy for me either" he told him "he took me and killed my brother. Now I've got to work for him and the Saviors ,as an extent. But decided to not take bullshit from anyone"

"Why ,because you're their only Doctor?" questioned Daryl. If they pissed Carson off he wouldn't be treating anyone. 

Carson let out a small chuckle. 

"No, although it crossed my mind..." he told him jokingly "because I'm me and noone will change that. They don't know you Daryl. Who you really are. What you've been through. What do they know? That Negan locked you up? That's not who you are. Who you are is the person who didn't give up despite the mistreatment. Who fought and continues to do so" Carson said to him. 

Daryl thought about it. Maybe he didn't need anyone's validation after all. 

"You're right" Daryl said as he let out a deep sigh. 

"You know I am" Carson told him with a smile. 

Daryl noticed the clock at the wall and two hours had passed without even realising it. 

"I have to go" said Daryl "erm look, Negan said that he will let me go on a run with him, can you tell him that I'm fine to go?" he asked. He really wanted to go out. 

"Are you though?" Carson asked him as he stood up as well. 

Daryl thought about it. 

"I am. I've grown sick in here. Being out would do me good"

Carson eyed him as he patted his arm comfortingly. 

"Ok then. I'll tell him that you can go"

Daryl gave him a smile. 

\---

Daryl opened the door to Negan's room and he found him organizing some things. 

Negan was a neat freak apparently. Most of the time he was tidying things up. 

"Hey" he told him "I was gonna come looking for you"

"Didn't run off if that's your worry..." drawled Daryl as he dropped himself to the couch. 

Negan left the papers on the table and walked to him. He sat next to him as he let out a sigh. 

"Saw your discomfort today..." Negan told him unsure "we can stay here to be eating if you feel unsafe"

"No" Daryl shook his head negatively "I won't be hiding anymore"

"Ok..." Negan said to him hesitantly. "Look I want you to feel safe enough to talk to me. I know that you don't feel like you can tell me how you're feeling, but I'm willing to listen"

Daryl sighed as he looked at him. That wasn't easy at all. 

"I will keep it in mind" he answered simply. 

Negan gave him a nod. 

"Do you want to sleep here again?" he questioned. 

"Aren't you tired of me?" Daryl asked in confusion. 

"Nope" answered Negan with a smirk "you may be like an octopus but I don't mind"

Daryl's cheeks reddened at that ,but he let a small smile to his face.

They both got ready for sleep with Negan giving him a fresh pair of very comfortable pyjamas. 

Negan lowered the lighting and Daryl moved closer to him. 

"Did you talk with Carson?" Negan questioned with a soft tone as he let Daryl snuggle to him. 

"Hmm" Daryl said "I did. It helped me"

"Good to hear it" Negan told him as he looked at Daryl's sleepy form. 

"Will you tell me what you will be turning "The room" into?" Daryl asked as he opened his eyes slightly. 

Negan stayed silent for a bit. 

"A torture chamber. We said that already..." he told him eventually "Where else will I be torturing you?" Negan asked softly. 

Daryl sighed to himself. 

"I want food after every torturing session though" Daryl mumbled. Huh, at least to be eating well. 

Negan let out a small chuckle. 

"I will keep it in mind" he told him as Daryl fell asleep next to him. 

"Goodnight Daryl" Negan told him almost inaudibly ,but Daryl heard him. 

"night Negan" he answered.


	13. Chapter 13

Two long days later, Negan finally decided to go out together. Daryl had been waiting for it because it was literally the highlight of his time there. Carson had not delayed talking to him but Negan postponed it for two days to be sure that Daryl was better. He knew that Daryl expected to be scavenging and things like that, but Negan had other plans. He wouldn't make Daryl carry things around in his situation. He was doing that mostly because he got Daryl's need to go out. Plus it would hopefully do them some bonding. 

Daryl grabbed a bag that Negan gave him and went downstairs to wait for him. He was very excited to take some fresh air at last away from the Sanctuary. Dwight had warned him to be careful all alone with Negan out there. He was still sceptical over Negan's sort of change of behavior. Negan was trying to treat him better but he wouldn't say that he was unrecognisable in his behavior. If he had changed that much, he would let him go completely. But still better than nothing. 

Simon approached him with a smirk. Daryl groaned annoyed. Why did he have to show up and ruin his mood. 

"I see that Negan has you like a well trained puppy. Now you will be getting your walk and back to your cage again" he mocked him. 

Daryl chose to ignore him but inside his blood was boiling. Again with the puppy/pet thing. He was a human for God's shake. 

"Do you bark as well?" Simon continued just to anger him. 

"No" answered Daryl coldly "but I'll rip your throat off if you continue. With my bare teeth. Rick had done it once. Maybe I should try as well" he threatened him. 

Simon let out a chuckle. 

"Maybe I should tell Negan that you're threatening me - one of his highest ups - and I'm sure that he wouldn't be happy at all. Plus you will adress me as "Sir" Simon snapped at him "that's the only appropriate way to talk to your superiors" he added as he grabbed his face roughly to force him to look at him. 

"Let me go" Daryl said to him in anger. 

"Nah-ah say the request again" Simon demanded from him. 

Suddenly Negan showed up walking down the stairs. Simon released his face immediately like nothing had happened. 

Daryl looked down at the floor with bitterness. Superiors? Yeah right. Because he was amongst his enemies and he couldn't defend himself properly. That didn't make him lesser than them. 

"Hey something happened?" Negan questioned as he saw Daryl's moody expression. 

Simon smiled at him though. 

"Here I was asking Daryl how is he feeling to go out" Simon told him with a smirk. "Is that right?" he asked him expectantly. 

"Yes" Daryl mumbled eventually. Simon would say he had been back talking to him and there was no way Negan would be on his side. 

"Alright, let's go then" said Negan as he bid Simon goodbye and left with Daryl for the RV they would be taking with them. 

Daryl was still moody when they arrived to the vehicle and Negan saw it. 

"Aren't you happy we are going out?" questioned Negan. 

Daryl sighed. He was but when he was being treated like that... 

"I am. I was just feeling a bit unwell" Daryl told him. 

Negan's expression turned to worried. 

"Why? Are you sick ? Maybe we shouldn't go..." he said to him. 

"No way" said Daryl "you already postponed it. I'm not sick, we can go"

"Fine" Negan told him "but at the first sign of discomfort you tell me..." he said as he bit his lip. 

"Ok mom..." drawled Daryl exasperated which caused Negan to let out a chuckle. 

"Come on you prick, let's go" he told him jokingly. 

Daryl felt some of his mood coming back. He shouldn't let Simon ruin this. 

\---

"Where are we going?" asked Daryl as Negan was driving. 

"You'll see" Negan told him. Always so secretive. 

Fall was officially there as leaves were falling everywhere around. Daryl just stared outside of the window. He had missed so much being at the woods. He wondered what store Negan wanted to check out for things. But he wouldn't tell him even if he asked, so... 

Ten minutes later Negan stopped to the side of the road. 

"Erm where is the store?" questioned Daryl confused. 

Negan sighed. 

"Nowhere" he told him "we won't be scavenging. This is about enjoying being out. How to do that if we are looking for stuff?"

With that he walked out of the RV and opened Daryl's door. 

Daryl got out and looked at him. He expected that the only reason he would bring him out, was to be helping him. 

"There is a nice place close from here" mumbled Negan "think you're gonna like it"

Daryl took a breath. 

"Ok let's go then" he told him as he stared at Negan's hazel eyes. 

Negan patted his shoulder comfortingly as they started walking at a comfortable pace.


	14. Chapter 14

Daryl took in the fresh air as they walked and it felt really refreshing to get to be out again. Thankfully Negan didn't take the bat with him, Daryl wasn't fond of Lucille after killing his best friends and he didn't wish to be seeing it when he was trying to relax. 

He was wondering where they were going with Negan. Suddenly he heard the sound of running water. They walked a bit more and it turned out it was a river with wooden tables by the side to sit and enjoy the view. Daryl guessed people used to come there before the Apocalypse. Combined with the fallen leaves, the view was admittedly very nice. He had no idea how Negan knew that he would like it. 

"What do you think?" questioned Negan as he saw him looking around. 

"It's ok..." told him Daryl , trying to play it indifferent when he actually liked it a lot. 

"Hmm I believed you" said Negan as he poked him playfully. 

They walked to the tables and sat down at one. 

"I come here when I want to be alone" Negan told him after some moments of just staring at the river. 

"And why did you bring me here?" questioned Daryl hesitantly. For Negan's secret getaway place, he couldn't understand why he would bring him there. 

Negan stared at him intensely. 

"Don't know" he sighed "it gives me so peace. Thought you may want some too"

Daryl sighed frustrated. He really wanted to feel peaceful again. 

"I know that you may don't like what I'm gonna say, but you will be truly peaceful when you stop fighting everyone" Daryl told him. 

Negan focused on him. 

"What about you Daryl? Can you stop fighting me?"

Daryl looked at him bitterly. 

"I can't trust you, at least not yet. Can't forget when you locked me up two times already and when you threw me out, after... you know what"

Negan stood up and got by his side ,sitting next to him. 

"I think with my dick many times" Negan told him as he sighed "But I came to care about you. Beyond just that I want you alive because you're my prisoner. I want you to be happy, but I can't find it in me to let you go just yet. I don't know about Rick and the others, to answer your question, but I want to stop fighting you"

"I've been hurt and broken down Negan" Daryl let out a sob as he hid his face in his palms. 

"You're not broken Daryl" Negan told him, feeling awful for making him worse "but even if you're broken as you say, you can be fixed again. It's not permanent"

Daryl whipped the tears from his eyes. 

"What do you want from me Negan?" he questioned again. He had asked again when he first brought him to the Sanctuary and didn't receive an answer. 

Negan looked at him right square in the eyes seriously. 

"May I?" he asked him in hesitation. He didn't want to force something on Daryl without him agreeing. 

Daryl nodded slowly as he bit his lip nervously. He was scared of his feelings for the bat wielding man sitting beside him. 

"I don't want to hurt you" mumbled Negan "not anymore"

"Then don't" answered Daryl simply. 

Negan moved his head closer to Daryl's and pressed his lips softly on his. Daryl was hesitant at first but responded back to the kiss. He didn't feel anything unnatural about kissing him at that moment. 

Negan let him go after awhile and they were both out of breath. 

"Are you ok...?" Negan questioned as he looked at Daryl's unreadable expression. 

"Yeah" mumbled Daryl shyly. He could still feel Negan's lips on his. 

Negan rubbed his palm comfortingly at Daryl's back. He didn't know if Daryl would want them to kiss again and he wouldn't be pressuring him. He just felt like he wanted to do it even for just once. 

Daryl had been through enough. He should respect that and not making him do things he didn't want any longer. 

Negan opened their bags and got out two sandwiches as it was close to noon by now. 

Daryl was surprised that he had brought food with him. But then again he didn't check what the bag contained before leaving from the Sanctuary. 

"There is no trip without food" Negan smirked at him as he handed him the delicious looking sandwich and got to his side opposite from Daryl. 

Daryl felt like they were just two friends before the Apocalypse enjoying the view to the river and having a lunch. It wasn't half as bad as he would once think.


	15. Chapter 15

Negan and Daryl sat at some big rocks by the river and looked at the running water. It was very relaxing and quiet just enjoying the nature for once. 

"Lucille used to love rivers" Negan told him out of sudden. 

Daryl was surprised that he would reveal to him more about his wife but he got his need to talk about her. 

"Bet she would have liked this place..." drawled Daryl. He imagined Negan bringing her there instead of him. Maybe if she was still around, they wouldn't even know each other ,him and Negan. But noone could know for sure what would be different. 

"Yeah" Negan let out a sigh "maybe she would have. We used to go on trips a lot back when she was healthy. Did you?" he questioned as he looked at him. 

"No" Daryl shook his head negatively , hesitant to talk about his father, but Negan did talk about his past. He should try to open up as well. 

"My mother died when I was young and my father was forced to live with me and my brother, Merle" Daryl told him bitterly "he didn't give a damn about us though. He never did. We were just burdens for him. He barely offered us a roof and food. Used to beat me up for things all the kids do. So no ,he never took us to trips..."

Negan's eyes widened at that. He had guessed that Daryl was abused as a kid but didn't know that it was that bad. 

"I'm sorry..." he told Daryl as he didn't know how else to comfort him. 

"It's fine" said Daryl as he sighed "he's dead for a very long time now. When I turned 18 left and never looked back. I've forgiven him for what he did to me, he was messed up in his mind"

"What about your brother?" Negan questioned. 

"Merle was unstable as well" Daryl told him as he thought of all the crazy things his big brother did "He pissed off Rick's group and they handcuffed him to a roof. But something happened and they lost the keys. He was crazy enough that he cut off his own hand in order to escape from that roof. That's how my relationship with Rick begun. Things were very tense between us at first. It took a very long time for me to get to trust him. Eventually my brother died making Rick and the others the only family I've got left" 

Negan remained silent. He could understand why Daryl felt so close to these people since they've been through so much together. 

"Do you miss them?" Negan mumbled as he asked him. Although he knew the answer already. 

Daryl started cutting a leaf and throwing it at the river looking at the pieces get taken away with the flow. 

"I do" Daryl told him "very much..."

"I will take you for a visit then" said Negan, making up his mind. 

"Really?" asked Daryl surprised although his mood darkened when he remembered the last time Negan took him to Alexandria. 

"Yes" answered Negan ,as he guessed his thoughts "Look it-it won't be like last time were you weren't allowed to speak and vise versa" he said remembering how controlling he had been the previous time. 

"I-" Daryl said unsure "thank you"

"No problem" Negan told him with a shrug of his shoulders. 

"What was that about by the way?" Daryl questioned. He had made a huge deal about people even looking at him. 

Negan averted his eyes in shame. He had acted like a super controlling person. Not that he wasn't controlling but that was definitely not one of his proudest moments. 

"Let's just say, thinking with my dick again" he told him hesitantly. 

Daryl had a small smirk on his face. 

"You do that quiet a lot..." he drawled jokingly. 

"I do" said Negan as he let out a laugh "but I'm over it. I want you to spend some time with your friends ,for real this time" he told him seriously. 

"What happened when you went to Alexandria?" questioned Daryl because he did want to know. 

"Nothing much..." Negan told him "Rick was annoyed that I would wake up Alexandria and I figured out you never returned. He was also hopeful that you had escaped, because I didn't know you were still at the Sanctuary"

"Well you did threaten that you would shoot me..." said Daryl as he sighed. He didn't know how Rick would react when he found out that his feelings for Negan were starting to change. 

"Me and the Prick have many differences, it's not because of you, it was unfair to put you in the middle" Negan apologized. 

"You are not so different as you think" told him Daryl because he knew that was the truth. They had more common things than they'd admit.

"Maybe..." said Negan as he looked at him puzzled. There was noone from Alexandria that he cared for as much as Daryl though. Only his approval mattered to him. He had spent too much time treating him like he couldn't say his opinion on anything and now he wanted to change that. He wanted to hear what Daryl had to say. 

He just wished it wasn't too late. Daryl had made an invisible shield around him to protect himself and now he didn't know how to break through. Negan hoped that he could manage it eventually. At least they've done some progress. 

The time had passed without even realizing it and they had to go back before it turned to night. 

Negan stood up and offered his hand to Daryl to pull him up. Daryl eyed it hesitantly but took the offer and Negan helped him up. Negan put his arm at Daryl's shoulder giving him a half hug as they started walking back to the car. 

Daryl didn't feel it at all controlling, but quiet comforting instead. He moved himself closer to Negan as it had a breeze and he felt warmth radiating from him ,making Daryl feel relaxed and comfortable as they walked.


	16. Chapter 16

Negan woke up to Daryl sleeping soundly next to him. It had become their thing to be sleeping together. Daryl's room slash prison some doors away, was completely forgotten by now. All he wanted was to have him beside him although he knew that if Daryl changed his mind, he would be sleeping all alone again and Daryl to Dwight's most likely. Until now, that hadn't happened though and Negan was happy for it. He felt like Daryl was safer by his side, he wished that Daryl felt the same though. 

Suddenly he heard screams from outside and an urgent knock on his door. What the hell was that? He hurried to open the door and he saw one of his men, looking out of breath. 

"Sir there is a very big herd coming towards the Sanctuary" he told him very worried. 

Negan walked fast to his room's window and he saw the herd approaching the Sanctuary. God damn it, he thought. 

"Gather the most capable men in fighting and I'll be there very shortly" he told him quickly. 

"Yes sir" said the man as he hurried to do as he told him. 

Negan grabbed his clothes fast and started getting dressed. Daryl sat up and looked at him in confusion. 

"What happened ?" he demanded to know as he took in Negan's worry. 

"There is a big herd coming towards the Sanctuary" Negan told him as he put on his leather jacket and grabbed Lucille. 

Daryl's eyes widened at that. 

"We have to fight them off and kill them" Negan added as he was about to leave. 

"Let me help you Negan" Daryl said, as he couldn't just stand without doing anything. 

"Forget it" said Negan decisively as he looked at him "you're not in a condition to be fighting so you're gonna stay right here"

"But-" Daryl started as Negan was ordering him again. 

Negan knelt on one knee in front of him. 

"Hey" he told him in a soft tone "I'll be back before you even know it. Can't put you in danger" 

He stood up as he kissed his forehead lightly and left him alone. 

Daryl got out of bed and looked out as everyone was panicking from the incoming threat. 

He sighed frustrated. Negan may had told him to not interfere but this was a life and death situation. He had to help him. 

Daryl made up his mind and got dressed quickly. He gave the room one last look as he hurried downstairs. 

Dwight saw him as he was making his way to the fence. If they couldn't control them, they would need to defend their walls. 

"Daryl what are you doing out here? You shouldn't be-" Dwight started. 

"Please Dwight ,I need a weapon" Daryl cut him off. 

"But-" Dwight said to him. 

"Just please?" Daryl begged him desperately. 

Dwight let out a sigh and handed him his knife. It was ideal for killing Walkers. 

"Be careful" Dwight told him as he eyed him worried. Daryl nodded and hurried to get out of the compound and to the short distance were Negan and his men were already fighting the herd. 

Daryl got to the battlefield and started killing Walkers quickly and efficiently. 

Suddenly he heard a pained yell close to him and saw one guy - around his thirties - that had fallen to the ground with a Walker above him. Daryl ran to them and pressed the knife to the Walker's head as it fell lifeless. 

The guy was sobbing as he was in excruciating pain. He was holding his arm and Daryl saw that the Walker had bitten him. 

He knelt by his side and looked at him without knowing how to help. 

"Hey, you're gonna be ok" he told him as the guy was crying. 

"We both know that I won't" the guy sobbed as he eyed the knife that Daryl was holding "Do it" he told him. 

Daryl shook his head in denial. 

"No, we can-" he started. 

The guy had started to burn up. 

"Just please" he begged him ,with tears in his eyes. 

Daryl grabbed the knife tighter in his hand and before he could rethink it, he pressed it through the guy's head. The man's eyes widened at first and then his body relaxed and his head fell to the side with glassy eyes from the crying. 

Daryl closed his eyes with his palm feeling cold inside him. He knew that he offered this man a release but it still hurt like hell. 

A growl was heard behind him and he got up quickly as he killed this Walker as well. He looked around and some of Negan's men had gotten bit. The most were continuing to kill them. He couldn't see Negan nowhere though. 

Negan had been hitting Walkers one by one to the sound of his men's screams. He felt so much anger as he hit them one after the other. He hated that they lived in the damn Apocalypse and that this was his life. 

One grabbed his leather jacket with its claws and Negan turned around quickly to hit it. He lost his balance though and fell to the ground abruptly. The pain in his ankle was instant and big. The Walker leaned above him as it tried to bite him. Negan tried to grab Lucille which had fallen from his hands but he couldn't with the pain he was feeling on his foot. 

The Walker was ready to bite him when a knife got pressed to its head and it fell down. 

Negan looked up to see who saved him and saw Daryl. He sighed frustrated. 

"God damn it Daryl. When are you gonna do what I'm telling you?" he asked him. 

"I am glad that I didn't..." Daryl told him as he frowned. Negan was ready to get killed and he would if he hadn't saved him. "What happened to you?"

"Hurt my ankle" Negan said to him in pain. 

Daryl took a deep breath and helped him up, taking most of his weight. He grabbed Lucille as well. 

"Let's take you to the Sanctuary" he mumbled as Negan grunted in pain. 

They walked with big difficulty. Dwight saw Daryl struggling and ran to them. 

"What happened?" he asked them as he saw that Negan was struggling to stand up. 

"Something with his foot" Daryl told him "Carson needs to see him"

Dwight nodded and helped Daryl out to take Negan to his room. 

\---

Carson sighed as he checked on him. They've had many injured people from the herd appearing, including Negan. 

"Your ankle is sprained" he told Negan as he checked his foot. 

"Just great..." Negan let out, despite his big pain. 

"I'll tie it up and you have to stay in bed. You can't be walking around like that, because you risk having a permanent damage. It needs to heal on its own" 

Daryl eyed Negan worried as he was clearly hurting. 

Carson began tying his foot with a bandage and Negan let out whimpers of pain as he closed his eyes tightly. 

Daryl grabbed his hand and held it in his ,trying to give him some reassurance. Finally Carson was done and he grabbed a pillow placing Negan's leg on top of it. It would do him good to keep his foot elevated. 

Negan closed his eyes as he felt so damn tired. 

"Let him sleep" said Carson to Daryl quietly "I'll come again to check on him" 

Daryl nodded as he closed the door behind Carson. 

He laid down next to Negan and he shifted his body to look at him. 

Daryl wished he would be ok soon enough as Negan continued letting out whimpers of pain. 

Their day had gotten completely messed up. That was for sure.


	17. Chapter 17

Negan woke up some hours later and his foot hurt a lot. The stupid Walker and him falling. His people needed him right now and he was stuck in bed. Daryl had rested his head on his shoulder. Still couldn't believe that Daryl had saved him. He should be mad that he had completely ignored him but he wasn't. Daryl had put his own life in danger out there. Thankfully he was unharmed. 

Daryl felt Negan stirring awake next to him and he opened his eyes. 

"Hey" he told him worried as he whipped the sleepiness from his eyes "How are you feeling?"

Negan sighed as he looked down at his foot. 

"It hurts" he told him as Daryl bit his lip worried. 

"Don't worry about old me" said Negan. He didn't want him to spent his time, worrying and being anxious for him. He didn't deserve it. 

Daryl let out a sob as he hugged him as best as he could with the position that they were both laying. 

"You're such an asshole" he told him as tears rolled down his cheeks "How to not worry when you almost got killed?"

"Shhh" Negan tried to comfort him "I'm alive Daryl, it will pass soon. Don't cry..." he said as he felt bad seeing Daryl like this. 

Daryl hesitated for a moment and pressed his lips on Negan's. 

Negan was surprised but kissed him back despite his injured leg. 

"Don't you ever do that to me again. You hear me?" Daryl told him as he was inches from Negan's face. 

"I won't" promised Negan as Daryl kissed him again. 

Daryl whipped his tears and sat up next to him. 

"You're gonna stay in bed and you'll be fine in no time" Daryl told him. 

"If I have you by my side only..." said Negan. He didn't know how he would survive being forced to stay in bed without Daryl being there with him. 

"I won't be leaving you" Daryl told him as he squeezed his hand. 

"The trip to Alexandria will have to get postponed" said Negan as he felt bad for not being able to take him there to see his friends. 

Daryl sighed. Of course he wanted to visit Alexandria, because it was his home but he couldn't think of himself ,when so many had been killed or hurt. 

"It doesn't matter right now" he told him "you should heal, that is the most important thing"

Daryl laid back down ,wrapping his arm around Negan. 

"Sorry I ignored you" Daryl mumbled "but I'm not gonna stand idle while you put yourself in danger"

Negan sighed as he leaned closer to Daryl. 

"I know, you can be particularly stubborn" he told him softly. 

"I am" Daryl answered decidedly. 

They stayed quiet for a bit. 

"I had to end someone's life" Daryl said eventually "he'd gotten bit and told me to end him"

Negan looked at him and he could see how difficult it had been for Daryl. 

"You did what was right" he told him. He wouldn't want to turn into one of these things either. 

"I know, but it still hurts..." mumbled Daryl. 

Negan gave him a nod of understanding as he sighed. Never were these things easy. His hazel eyes met Daryl's brown ones and Daryl could see Negan's tiredness. 

"You should sleep again" Daryl told him. He needed rest right now. 

"When did the roles get reversed and you tell me what I should be doing?" asked Negan as he smirked a bit. 

Daryl's face turned to a shade of red but he tried to hide it. 

"From now and on. If you get to order me, I may do it as well" he told him as Negan let out a laugh. 

"You don't follow orders though" Negan told him with amusement. 

"Exactly, so you'll do it for the both of us" Daryl said to him simply.

"Ok, you are the boss" Negan chuckled and complied, closing his eyes. 

Daryl had a small smile on his face as he watched him fall asleep again, happy that he did what he asked. He felt good to finally get Negan to do something he told him. Especially if it had to do with his health. 

Negan may was an asshole, but he belonged to him and he to Negan. That's how he felt at least. Not in the possessive and demanding way,but by having understanding and being there for each other. If he had learned anything from the day was how much he didn't want Negan to get hurt or worse die. He may had disobeyed him once again but he would repeat it in an instance if his life was in danger. That's all he knew for now. 


	18. Chapter 18

Negan woke up after an hour to whimpering in pain once again. Daryl was wide awake and he was looking at him worried as Negan's face was flushed. Negan blinked and looked at him feeling tired despite all that sleep he had gotten by now. 

"Hey" Daryl told him "you don't look well at all Negan" he said as he bit his lip. He was worried for him. 

Negan sighed because it was the truth. His foot was hurting a lot. 

"I'm going to get Carson" Daryl decided. He didn't think that just laying there was enough. 

"Ok..." Negan mumbled ,without disagreeing. Daryl gave him another concerned glare and walked out of the room closing the door behind him. 

He turned to a corner and he bumped into Simon. 

"Watch it!" he snapped and saw who he was. "Well well, I'm surprised you didn't make your escape yesterday. I mean the gates were wide open" Simon said as he smirked. 

"It's none of your business what I do" Daryl spat at him. 

Simon grabbed him by the throat and put him roughly against the wall. 

"It would be so easy to cut off your airflow right now" he told him menacingly as Daryl tried to remove Simon's hand from his throat with struggle "you think I forgot you back talking the other day. I see Negan did a very poor job with you, a very poor job indeed..."

"Do it and he's gonna kill you" Daryl managed to let out almost out of breath. 

"I'll tell him that you attacked me and it was all in self defense" Simon laughed evilly. "You will show me respect everytime we meet and I won't have Negan throw you in a cell again. Understood?" he demanded. 

Daryl tried to spit at him but Simon only tightened the grip to his throat. 

"Did you understand?!" Simon repeated in a cold tone. 

"Yes" Daryl let out with big struggle. 

Simon released his throat as he laughed. 

"Yes what?" he demanded from him. 

Daryl swallowed hard as his throat still hurt. 

"Yes sir" he told him eventually as he had no other choice but to do what Simon wanted. 

"Good boy" Simon praised him "that's the way you should behave. No smart mouthing. Negan let loose of your leash and you think that you can do whatever you want. You need to be put in your place" he said as he grabbed his chin. 

Daryl's eyes were stinging and he was on the verge of tearing up. 

"Until next time... Daryl" Simon said to him as he released his chin roughly. "What do we say to that?" he questioned dangerously. 

"Yes sir" Daryl repeated to not hurt him any longer. 

Simon looked pleased and turned his back at him as he left. 

Daryl's eyes watered and he let himself slide against the wall as he started crying. He knew that he should be getting Carson but he felt so abused at that moment. Like he was back at his house and his father was doing all kinds of things to him exactly for the same reason. To make him submit. He just sat there and sobbed. 

"Daryl?" he heard someone out of sudden. 

He looked up and it was Dr Carson, looking at him concerned. 

"Why are you crying?' he demanded to know. Daryl didn't look well at all to him. 

Daryl didn't know what to tell him. He didn't want to say the truth though. 

" Nothing ermm-" he drawled as he whipped the tears from his eyes and stood up "it's just that I worry for Negan. He is in pain you see..."

Carson looked at him sympathetically as he patted his back lightly. 

"Why didn't you come find me? I have been busy today seeing a lot of injured people but I would have come if I knew that he was hurting and in pain"

"I felt emotional all of sudden I guess..." Daryl mumbled. 

"Let's go then" said Carson as Daryl nodded hesitantly and they started walking to Negan's room.

His life had gotten very difficult once again.


	19. Chapter 19

Carson sighed as he checked Negan's foot which was swollen and had turned to a purple shade. It was worse than he had originally thought. He tried to be as gentle as possible to not cause him more pain. 

"It would be for the best to move you to the infirmary" he told him. If he stayed to his room, it would be more difficult to control the pain. 

Negan looked up at him and then at Daryl who had a lost expression all this time since he came back with Carson. He didn't want to leave him alone. 

"Don't know Carson..." he drawled unsure. 

"Do what he tells you" intervened Daryl "it won't be for long after all, right Carson?"

"Yes of course" nodded Dr Carson "until the pain goes away. After that there is no problem to be staying here as well"

Negan looked at them both and after a very long time he felt helpless. Either here or at the infirmary, he would be stuck in bed. He just wanted to sleep with Daryl. Guessed this wasn't an option right now with the intense pain he was feeling. 

He nodded reluctantly. Carson brought a wheelchair and Daryl helped him to stand Negan up as gently as possible. The sun was starting to set out of the window of Negan's room. 

"Ok you are ready" Carson told him as Negan was sitting at the wheelchair "Daryl you can come visit tomorrow morning"

There were others at the infirmary as well with minor injuries but it would be for the best to not disturb them right now by overcrowding the infirmary. 

Negan looked at him with tired eyes. 

"Don't worry about me" he told him "I'll be better sooner rather than later"

Daryl walked closer to him and let out a sigh. 

"You will" he said with sadness. He hated to see Negan get taken away even if he was literally going one floor up. 

Carson took Negan out of the room as Daryl stayed there looking at the empty space around him. 

He laid down to Negan's side of the bed and curled to himself. 

From Simon's abusive behavior to Negan getting hurt, his life officially sucked once again. He could tell him what Simon was doing but what would he get out of this? Simon would deny everything. Plus Negan wasn't well right now. The only way was to take it and hope that he would stop eventually. 

Negan did stop hurting him. Maybe the same would happen with Simon as well. That was if he didn't get him killed first as he remembered him cutting off his airflow. 

He glared at the dark ceiling and hoped that the abuse would end one day or he didn't know how else he would go on like that. 

\---

Simon was pacing back and forth in his room. That damn Daryl. 

He and Negan were together, he just knew it. Negan had grown disgustingly soft over him. He had him in his room cuddling him and taking him to trips without a care of what they would do with the communities. As Negan was being lovesick, the other communities were growing stronger and they wouldn't even realize it when they would attack them. 

That's why he had brought the herd to the Sanctuary. He directed it there in hopes that Negan would snap out of his stupid love with Daryl and focus on the real matters. Or at least to get killed so he could take over. That didn't happen though. He got away with only an injury. 

All that because of Daryl once again. 

He had no right to be walking amongst them like this was his home too. Daryl was nothing but a mere prisoner. Who deserved to be behind bars. He didn't get how Negan would ever get so blinded. 

It was time to take more drastic measures though. He would tear their relationship apart and Negan would understand how wrong he had been for getting it on with his prisoner. If Daryl was heartbroken he would be a very easy target. Eventually Negan's fall would come, one way or the other ,so he could take over. 

Just in time there was a knock on his door. He smiled and walked to open up. 

"Glad that you agreed to come" he said. 

"What do you want from me?" the other person demanded as walked in and Simon closed the door again. 

"Aren't you tired of being Negan's play toy?" Simon questioned as the person walked to the dark side of the room. 

"What is your point?" the person asked with a voice filled with bitterness. 

"To get revenge. To not be treated like someone who Negan can play with and dump later on. Sherry escaped. Think about how it will be when he is gone. You're gonna be free to fall in love, hell even have a baby if you want to. Not have the fear of being punished if you want to be with someone else. Which is pretty hypocritical considering he cheats all the time..."

The person moved from the shadows and she had tears in her eyes. 

Simon moved closer to her and put one string of her red hair behind her ear. 

"What do you say, Frankie?" he asked her ,as she looked at him with glassy eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

"You know damn well that he doesn't love me, he never loved any of us" Frankie told him defensively. 

"Exactly, you are just his puppets" Simon said to her sympathetically "you know that he has fallen in love with Daryl? Imagine that. His own prisoner. He used you first and now he dumped you for his prisoner"

"He will get tired of him as well" Frankie said as she raised her hands up exasperated. 

"No my dear. You see Daryl is a very sneaky bastard. His plan is to make Negan fall in love with him and when the time is right, he and his buddies will wipe all of us out. There go your dreams for happiness" he told her. 

"He knows that we are victims in all of this" Frankie told him bitterly. 

"My poor girl, you think that they care? This is about who is gonna come on top. Negan threatened your friends and family in order to make you agree to this absurdity. Even if they do decide to spare at least you girls, it will be on terms and conditions. They didn't hesitate to kill so many people while sleeping and they couldn't defend themselves, what makes you believe they will show kindness out of sudden?"

Frankie dropped herself to the bed and looked at the floor with a lost expression. 

"You are young. There is so much to do with your life. Aren't you tired of Negan's reign of fear?"

"I am" said she as she bit her lip. 

Simon sat down beside her. 

"Don't you find weird he hasn't let you go yet? He wants you as backup. Who knows, he may force you to have a baby with him sooner rather than later while still playing couple with Daryl. Sherry looked of herself and got away. She chose selfishly. You on the other hand are still at Negan's mercy"

Frankie's eyes widened in fear. She knew that what Simon was saying was a big possibility. 

"Think of how happy you'll be without him around. You could leave from here or take on a serious and respectful role around the Sanctuary. Who takes you seriously right now my darling?"

Frankie averted her gaze bitterly. Noone was taking them seriously of course. They were only "Negan's wives" that noone was allowed to touch. Like he was their master or something. She absolutely hated that this was her life. 

"You have so much to offer and he has put you on the sidelines. Are you gonna continue tolerate that? To use you whenever he pleases?"

She sighed frustrated. Of course she didn't want to get used by Negan. 

"What do you suggest then?" she asked as Simon smirked at her. 

Frankie walked to the infirmary late at night. Everyone was asleep by now. She looked from the door's window and saw Negan laying on a bed with some others next to his. They were all sleeping,so she had no fear that she would be seen. He looked vulnerable for the first time at least since she came to the Sanctuary. 

Frankie bit her lip unsure as her eyes were stinging. She just wanted to be free at last from her supposed "husband". Be like Sherry that had the courage to leave. If Simon's plan didn't work, escaping would be her only solution. 

Maybe Negan would get how it felt to be hurting someone. Perhaps not physically, as he never hit them, but emotionally. 

She shook her head in despair as she walked away to her own room.


	21. Chapter 21

Carson brought Negan breakfast and checked on the others beside him. He decided to let them go as their injuries weren't so serious that required them to stay there, they would be ckecking with him though to see how they were doing. Negan ate his breakfast despite the fact that he wasn't hungry at all. His foot still hurt even though Carson gave him painkillers. He just wished Daryl would come visit him. He knew that he shouldn't expect to run to him as soon as he woke up but he missed him already. The infirmary was lonely without him. Now that the others were let go, it was lonely for sure. 

Carson let him eat his breakfast in peace and went to his office. It wouldn't do Negan good to be asking him how he was feeling all the time. If he needed something, he would tell him. Negan heard the door of the infirmary opening and for a monent he thought he would see Daryl. He looked up from his disk of food and to his disappointment he saw Frankie, Negan frowned as she walked in. His wives never cared for him, what happened now? Maybe she wanted a favor. He was spending so much time with Daryl that he had almost forgotten about them. He was considering it to let them free at last. Daryl was the only person he wanted to be with. It was pointless to be keeping whoever was left after Sherry's escape. They've made it very clear that they didn't want to be with him and he didn't either. So why continue it? 

"Frankie how come you're here first thing in the morning?" Negan questioned confused. 

Frankie grabbed a chair and sat next to his bed. 

"Heard you got injured since you didn't care to inform us. Can't I come see how you doing?" she asked with an unreadable expression. 

"You can" he told her "it's just didn't think you'd care" Negan said hesitantly. 

"To not care about my husband? Who else am I gonna care for at that place? Plus you're the leader. It's only natural to care if you got injured or being hurt"

Negan shot her a look. He didn't think he believed that she cared for him being her husband. Only the perks that came with it, they liked. He decided to give her the benefit of doubt though. 

"Don't worry. It's not like I'm dying, it's just an injury" Negan said with a shrug. 

"I am happy to hear it" she told him as she nodded "You have a long time to come to our room"

"To do what?" Negan asked her. Frankie felt anger but opted not to show it. Yeah right now that he had Daryl what were they to him anymore?

"To spend time with your wives, like you used to. Sherry may got away but there are still many of " she suggested. 

"I am ok actually" Negan replied. He didn't need them anymore for just sex. What he and Daryl had was way deeper. He was in love for the first time after Lucille. He didn't even care if Daryl would give in or not. Just to have him by his side made him feel happy and alive. If they ever were to take their relationship there, he wanted Daryl to feel comfortable. The guy had been through a lot. Plus who else got to experience sleeping with such an octopus like Daryl? He loved having Daryl sleep wrapped around him and missed it right now. 

"Ok then..." said Frankie as her mood darkened a bit. It would take effort to make him give in. 

Just then Daryl walked in the room and Negan's face brightened instantly. 

Frankie turned to look at him as well and he was wearing a brown shirt and black jeans. Only once she had seen Daryl when Dwight had brought him to their common room and he was holding a disk. Now he was looking completely different than then though. 

"Daryl this is Frankie, Frankie Daryl" he told them "you've not met each other"

"Hi" said Daryl as he looked at her. She was beautiful, she could easily be a model. Her red hair made her even more appealing. 

"Nice to meet you Daryl" she told him as she shook his hand. 

"Same..." said he. 

"I'll leave you then to talk" Frankie told them "Hope you feel better soon Negan" 

"Thank you Frankie" Negan replied as she left ,giving them one last glare. 

Daryl sat down to the seat Frankie had been occupying. 

"Is she one of your wives?" questioned Daryl. He didn't know many women who had connections to Negan except from his wives. 

"Yes..." Negan told him as he sighed "ex wives. What I had with them is over"

"Really?" Daryl asked surprised. He knew that Negan wasn't seeing them since he brought him here, but then again dealing with him all the time, was well...time consuming. He thought that Negan would want to reconnect with them though. 

"Only you matter to me, got it?" Negan asked as he saw Daryl being confused and lost in his thoughts. "Even if you're an octopus" he told him with a smirk. 

"Hmm yesterday I was a lonely octopus..." Daryl told him with sadness. 

Negan sighed. "Same... Miss my octopus already" he said. 

Daryl liked this new possessiveness that Negan had on him. It was cute rather than terrifying. 

"How are you feeling? See that your roommates left" Daryl said. 

"Yeah... Carson let them go. They didn't have serious injuries that required them to stay here. I do on the other hand as my foot is red and swollen..." he told him in misery. 

Daryl sighed disappointed. 

"That damn herd..." he said. 

"Yes" Negan nodded in agreement "this has never happened again"

Daryl let out a huff of air. "As the dead get more and more, I guess one has to be prepared for everything"

"Unfortunately..." Negan said as he grabbed Daryl's hand in his. "Did you have breakfast today or do you need me to babysit you?"

Daryl blushed at that. 

"Ermm had some..." he mumbled "want you to babysit me though" He missed having breakfast with Negan.

Negan smirked at him and they just sat there while still holding Daryl's hand in his.


	22. Chapter 22

"Remember when I was here?" questioned Daryl. 

Negan sighed. He didn't want to remember that. 

"Yeah..." drawled Negan "I wish you never need to be here again" he said as he shot him a glare. 

"I was being stubborn" Daryl mumbled as he had turned his back to Negan. 

Negan cringed at the remembrance of how he had behaved ,not Daryl "when aren't you stubborn? But you had gotten hurt and I was blaming you. Like of course you didn't want my help, I was the reason they attacked you"

"You can't protect me from everyone Negan" said Daryl as he stared at their hands "I have to be stronger on my own"

Negan sighed frustrated. He shouldn't have to deal with people attacking him in the first place. 

"I will sure try my best no matter what you say" Negan told him decisively. He couldn't protect him from everything, but he could try. 

Negan moved to the side of his bed and patted the space beside him. 

"Erm what are you doing?" drawled Daryl confused. Negan should be laying comfortably, not go to the corner of the hospital bed. 

"Lay down for a bit" said Negan as he patted the freed space again. 

Daryl looked at him unsure as the bed could hardly fit them both, but he complied. He tried to shift himself so that he wouldn't cause Negan discomfort with his injured foot. 

Negan wrapped his arm around him as best as he could and listened to Daryl's soft breathing. 

"Are you sure that you are ok with me laying here as well?' Daryl questioned. He didn't want to make him worse. 

"I am fine" said Negan as he held him closer. 

Daryl felt a lump on his throat. He should tell him about Simon's abuse, but he couldn't find it in him. He didn't want to ruin their moment with Negan. 

"I love you Daryl" said Negan out of sudden. 

Daryl's eyes widened and looked at him. 

"What?" he questioned like he didn't believe his ears. 

Negan saw his confusion but he didn't regret admitting his feelings. 

"I will understand if you don't love me back..." he drawled as he looked Daryl in the eyes "but it's the truth. I have fallen in love with you for the first time since Lucille. I know that you got forced to be with me but I came to the conclusion that I'm in love with you" Negan said as he held his breath. 

Daryl stayed silent for two minutes. He could see in Negan's eyes that he was serious. 

"I hated that I was forced to come back here and all that happened between us, but I love you too" Daryl confessed to him and pressed his lips on Negan's. 

"You may be an asshole for keeping me as your prisoner, but you're mine" Daryl sobbed, removing his lips for a second. 

Negan kissed him back and felt his heart flutter with happiness. 

"And you're my octopus" he told him softly. 

Daryl let out a chuckle. 

"I am, so be better soon to be comfortable at your bed and not squeezed to a hospital one" he said as he kissed him once again. 

Negan rested his head on his shoulder and he let out a small laugh. 

This was what it was like to be happy. It may had taken him years, but he found happiness in the most unexpected person. 

His foot hurt again but he didn't care. As long as he had Daryl , he had nothing to fear. Negan sighed as he closed his eyes, feeling tiredness overtaking him. He hadn't slept much at night. 

Daryl looked at Negan as he fell asleep with his arm wrapped around him. 

Carson appeared by the door and saw Negan sleeping with his head resting on Daryl. 

Daryl saw him and he blushed a bit. They were lucky that the others had been let go. He motioned him that they were ok and to come by later. Carson smirked at him and walked away with a smile on his face. 

Maybe miracles did happen, after all.


	23. Chapter 23

Daryl fell asleep as well without even realising it. When he woke up Negan was looking at him. He felt sore from sleeping to such a squeezed space but it was worth it. 

He blinked and stared at Negan. 

"Seeing something?" Daryl questioned shyly. 

"Yes" Negan told him with a smirk "you're handsome even when sleeping"

"Doubt it..." Daryl replied as he felt embarrassed. Noone ever complimented him. 

"Don't insult my octopus" Negan pouted. 

Daryl rolled his eyes. 

"Your octopus got sore" said Daryl as he sat up "I should leave to let you lay comfortably"

Negan got sad at that. 

"Don't want you to" he told him as he turned to moody. 

"You should rest though" Daryl pointed out "plus Carson will check on you. You're injured Negan"

"Want to be with you though..." Negan said grumpily. 

"I am not going anywhere" Daryl told him as he kissed him again "who are you gonna torture if not me?" 

Negan chuckled at that. 

"Exactly" he told him with a smirk "or do better things than that. Torture is overrated"

"Hmm I know right?" said Daryl playfully "Are you ever gonna tell me what this room is being turned into?"

"Nope" Negan replied "it's a surprise. You are gonna see it when it's ready" 

Daryl sighed at Negan's secrecy. He was willing to wait though. 

He eventually got out of bed completely and helped Negan reposition himself. Daryl gave him a glass of water that was by his bedside and helped him drink it. 

Negan stared at him intensely. 

"I've done nothing to deserve you" he said out of sudden "all I did was to cause you pain"

"You being yourself is enough" Daryl told him as he pressed his lips on Negan's forehead. 

Negan closed his eyes to the touch. He felt warmth everytime Daryl was around him. 

"We lost time with me being locked up to a room and having biterness between us, but we have time to fix things" Daryl told him as he looked down at Negan. 

Negan took his hand in his. 

"We do" he told him as they stared at each other's eyes. 

He didn't know how much time they had with all the dangers they had to face, but wanted to spend it with Daryl. 

\---

Daryl moved to the side for Carson to leave. He had given Negan a painkiller again to manage the pain. Daryl felt bad seeing Negan in pain but there was nothing he could do. 

Negan was tired once again despite spending his whole time laying in bed. Just in time there was a knock on the door and Dwight walked in hesitantly. Negan had wanted to see him and requested that they called him. He wanted to give a gift to Daryl despite himself being all helpless right now. 

"Did you want me?" questioned Dwight as he eyed them both. 

"Yes, wanted to discuss something with you" Negan nodded. Daryl got the memo that he should leave them alone. No matter how much he wanted to stay. 

Negan grabbed his hand and held it in his. 

"Stay out of troubles, ok?" Negan told him with worry. 

Daryl swallowed dryly. If only Negan knew that the troubles were coming to him and not the opposite. 

"I'll try" he replied as he bit his lip "goodnight Negan" 

Negan sighed. He didn't want to let him go just yet but Dwight was waiting rather awkwardly. 

"Goodnight Daryl" he told him eventually as Daryl looked at him again and walked out of the Infirmary. 

Dwight sat down by Negan's bed. 

"So...what do you say about a trip to Alexandria?" Negan asked him expectantly.


	24. Chapter 24

Daryl was feeling anxious as he laid in bed. Negan's room felt too empty without him there. He just wished Negan was allowed to leave from the infirmary soon so he could be with him again. It felt like a dream that they finally admitted their feelings for each other. If someone had told him that he would ever fall for Negan, he would have thought they are crazy but he had changed. Realising how wrong he had treated him and indeed now things were much better. He knew that deep inside he would always be Negan, but he liked this new version and missed him a lot.

Perhaps him and Negan being together could be a start of fixing things between their communities. Daryl didn't want his friends to suffer and also the people at the Sanctuary who Daryl came to realise that they were not evil, at least the majority and that they just wanted to survive. Just like them. He didn't want them to keep fighting each other and have killings. They needed to work together. He hoped now that Negan had calmed down, that he would be more open-minded and hear him out. If they could make it work, their communities could too. Daryl sighed frustrated as he closed his eyes sleeping to Negan's side of the bed.

Daryl woke up to someone knocking on the door. He got up sleepily and dragged himself to open up. He saw Dwight all dressed up and looking at him. 

"Something happened?" Daryl asked as he wiped the sleepiness from his eyes. He worried if something was wrong with Negan. 

"Nope" Dwight told him "We are going to Alexandria" he announced. 

Daryl's eyes widened. Alexandria? But...-

Dwight saw his confusion. 

"That's what Negan wanted last night. He told me, since he can't take you, to drive you myself"

"Wow ok..." drawled Daryl "didn't expect that...Are you ok with it?"

"Yes man" Dwight told him as he shrugged "you want to go for so long now and he finally allowed it. So it's a chance to spend some hours with your friends. He wanted you to have fun, that's what he said"

Daryl smiled to himself. A thank you was dued when he returned. Negan was a softie when he wanted to. He knew that it would make him happy to see his family again. 

\---

"So..." Dwight drawled as he drove off the Sanctuary "you and Negan?

Daryl blushed at that. 

"I know what you're gonna say... That I'm an idiot etc..." Daryl mumbled. 

Dwight sighed. 

"You're not an idiot. He seems changed and I guess it's because of you"

"I won't ever forget what he did, there are unforgivable things, but he realised that he was wrong and he is willing to become better" Daryl told him as he bit his lip "You should go search for Sherry yourself"

"You think he will let me go just like that? She still escaped" Dwight said frustrated. 

"He will because that's what's right" Daryl told him "I'll talk to him personally. I also escaped multiple times and he forgave me. Why not Sherry?"

"Hope you're right" drawled Dwight. He missed Sherry very much and he would do everything to get reunited with her. 

\---

Half an hour later Dwight parked outside Alexandria's gates to drop Daryl. 

"I will come by later ok? Will drive a bit to take my mind off things"

"Alright, be careful" said Daryl as he bid him goodbye and got out of the car. 

He watched Dwight drive away and took a deep breath as he faced Alexandria. It felt very weird to be there again after everything that happened. 

Rosita was the first to see him and her eyes widened. She opened the gates fast and ran to him giving Daryl a big hug. 

"Can't believe you're well" Rosita sobbed in his arms. 

"I am" said Daryl as he tried to calm her down. 

"How are you here?" she asked as she stepped back a bit "you escaped?"

"No, Negan let me to come see you. Dwight will pick me up in a few hours" said Daryl. 

Rick appeared behind Rosita and stood there frozen. Daryl saw him as well. Rick hurried towards them and pulled Daryl into a hug. 

"I knew you'd escape again" Rick told him feeling emotional. 

"Erm" drawled Daryl "I didn't. He just let me see you for a couple hours"

Rick looked at him confused. 

"And he left you unsupervised?" he questioned as he remembered the last time. 

"Eh- well he is sort of unwell at the moment" Daryl told him. Rick gave him a weird look and grabbed him by the hand. They needed to talk. 

Daryl followed him and they got outside of the church. They sat down from a big tree and Rick looked at him. 

"What do you mean unwell?" asked Rick. 

Daryl sighed. "A herd attacked the Sanctuary and Negan got injured while fighting them. He couldn't bring me himself so he put Dwight to drive me here"

"So he is injured right now?" Rick demanded to know. This was their chance to attack now that Negan was defenseless. 

Daryl's eyes widened as he guessed Rick's thoughts. 

"Whatever you're thinking, forget it" Daryl warned him. 

"It's the perfect chance to attack them and you want me to forget it? Just because he let you visit? Very kind of him..." Rick said with sarcasm. 

Daryl looked at him dumbfounded. He definitely didn't expect that reaction. 

"I was happy to get to see you again, but your first worry is to take down Negan I see" Daryl told him bitterly. 

Rick shot him a glare. 

"What I find weird is your reaction and not mine" Rick replied "he keeps you as his prisoner and you want to stay in apathy so he can continue ruining our lives"

Daryl sighed frustrated. 

"He's not like that anymore. Yes, he did horrible things. I didn't forget them. But you don't know him like I got to" Daryl snapped at him defensively. He was very disappointed by his best friend's reaction. 

Rick gave him a shocked look like he had figured something out. 

"You are sleeping together" Rick let out "that's why you defend him! From prisoner ,he made you his toy? Wake up Daryl, he is using you! "

Daryl snapped and punched him right square in the face. He teared up at Rick's harsh words. 

"Leave us the hell alone Rick! " he spat at him as he ran inside the church while sobbing. 

Rick tried to soothe the pain he was feeling from the punch and just stood there watching Daryl run away.


	25. Chapter 25

Daryl didn't even know why he chose the church to run off too but it was the closest place. If Rick wanted to hurt Negan he would find him in the way. The irony was that Negan thought he would have fun going to Alexandria. This was the complete opposite of fun. Rick didn't know what he had been through. It wasn't like Daryl had expected that his people would accept Negan so easily but Rick didn't even give him a chance to explain. Falling for Negan was unexpected but he didn't regret it happening. 

Daryl didn't even know how much time it had passed. He wished he could contact Dwight to come take him right now. He finally decided to walk out of the church and to his frustration saw Rick standing outside. He sighed exasperated. Rick's cheek had a brown shade from punching him. 

"Thought to wait for you here" Rick mumbled. 

"Why ,because it is a church?" Daryl questioned in a sharp tone. He didn't care what place it was. He didn't wish to talk to Rick at that moment. 

"You just came here. Don't want us to be fighting. I'm sorry I behaved like that when you were gone for so long now..." Rick told him apologetically. 

"Oh so I'm not just your inside info to Negan?" Daryl asked him in annoyance. He definitely regretted revealing things to Rick. 

"No" Rick said to him "look I said I'm sorry, what else can I do?"

Daryl looked at him and he let out a huff. 

"It's not what you think, ok? I was his prisoner once more, he would lock me in a room and control my every move" Daryl told him as he let himself drop to a bench as Rick stayed standing "He wanted us to spend time together for some reason. One day he left me unsupervised and some of his guys attacked me and raped me. I was very angry towards him after that. Couldn't forgive him. Then we got into a big fight and he threw me out of the Sanctuary without a weapon. He told me to go home, when that couldn't happen of course. Dwight saved me and decided to hide me to his room without Negan knowing. Hence his visit to Alexandria that day. Eventually he found out and instead of punishing me, he let me roam around the Sanctuary. Gradually we came closer him and I. I'm still his but it's not like it used to" 

Daryl didn't even know how he managed to stay calm as he remembered all that, that had happened. Rick's eyes had widened on the other hand. On the rape part specifically. 

"What do you mean you got raped?" he asked shocked. 

"I did" Daryl sighed deeply "Negan executed them all afterwards. You get now that I'm not his toy? I didn't forget what he did to Glenn and Abraham of course. Never will. But he has protected me when he didn't have to. He genuinely cares about me. I won't let you harm him" he warned Rick. 

Rick dropped himself beside him. He didn't know what Daryl had been through. All this was just horrible. 

"Don't know if I can accept it, but I understand" he told him after thinking about it. "If that's what you want, I'll not do something against them"

"Thank you" mumbled Daryl. That was enough for now. 

"Look since we have a few hours, I don't want to ruin them by fighting..." Rick told him hesitantly "Do you want to see the kids? They have missed you a lot"

Daryl took a deep breath as he nodded. 

"Yeah, I would like that a lot"


	26. Chapter 26

Rick opened the door to his house and Carl walked down the stairs while holding Judith in his arms. 

"Daryl?" Carl questioned surprised as Judith squealed happily "uncle Dary"

"Hey kiddos" said Daryl offering them a warm smile. He had missed these kids a lot. 

They sat at the couch as Rick started making some lemonade. Daryl was still upset from their fight but tried not to show it in front of the kids. Judith was playing happily at the carpeted floor and Carl focused his attention to him. 

"You are not well" Carl told him suddenly as he lowered his voice to not be heard by his dad. 

"I am fine Carl" Daryl said as he sighed "I'm just glad I get to see you again even for some hours"

"Negan can be an asshole" Carl said as he remembered how it had been when both he and Daryl had been at the Sanctuary. He may didn't hurt him personally, except from making him sing and removing the bandage of his missing eyes, but it was nothing compared to Daryl and what he had been through. 

"I know what you're thinking" Daryl told him trying to ease his fears "it's not like that again. He treats me way better, hope one day he lets me free so I can see you guys"

"Yeah..." Carl mumbled unsure "if he does something though tell him that he will have to deal with me" he added with a smirk. 

Daryl rolled his eyes at that. 

"That is definitely a threat he will take seriously" Daryl said with a chuckle as both he and Carl shared a laughter. 

\---

Negan sighed as he looked at his bandaged foot. He missed Daryl already although he knew that since he decided it ,he shouldn't be worrying if or when Daryl would be back. If he wanted their relationship to work he had to stop treating him like a prisoner and let him do what he wanted. Yet his possessiveness always had to get in the way. He would come back. Negan had to believe he would. 

Carson had brought him some books to occupy himself and he realised that it was from those Daryl had been sorting out the second day he was brought there. Negan wished he had let him read them and not complaining that he wasn't working. The second time he had brought him these books, he had discovered Lucille's letters and got mad once again. He shouldn't have made such a deal and definitely not throw him out like that. He could still remember Daryl's despair when he closed the gates at his face. 

Daryl was working on his emotions. He didn't care about power, like himself. When he started treating him like he did have feelings and showed him that he could speak his mind, Daryl had been willing to co-operare with him, without threats and all that crap. If he had done things differently from the start things with Daryl would have been very different. Negan knew that if he and Daryl were to have something, anything, they needed to fix the situation between their communities. Daryl would never tolerate for him to continue threatening his family in order to comply. All he knew for now was that he was willing to try for Daryl's shake. 

Since he had admitted his feelings to Daryl his insecurities have been through the roof. He was constantly questioning if he said the right thing or if Daryl felt forced to be with him because he didn't have no other choice. If he had left him with his friends and family, maybe he would have wanted to be with someone else and not the guy who forced him to come back there. It was very frustrating to think that he had made him be with him as well. He wished that Daryl didn't feel that way but he still had doubts creeping in. 

Negan let out a frustrated sigh and opened a book to read. It did him no good to overthink. When Daryl would be back he would have all the time to find out if he felt forced to be with him or not ,no matter how much it hurt him.


	27. Chapter 27

Daryl talked with Rick and the kids, saw Michonne, Carol and the rest of Alexandrians (at least those who were there and not scavenging) and he felt way better. He had missed everyone a lot. The hours passed by without even realising it and Rosita informed him that Dwight was there. Rick sighed as he looked at Daryl. 

"I know that you're bitter about our conversation and I'm sorry" mumbled Rick. 

Daryl looked down at the ground and took a breath. 

"It's fine Rick. Can't say I wasn't disappointed but I know that this isn't easy for you. Hope I get to see you again soon"

"Yeah...me too" Rick said in frustration. He didn't like that Daryl had to get permission to visit them or stay there again. This was his home, not the Sanctuary. Dwight was waiting though so they couldn't say anything else right now. 

Daryl hugged Judith and Carl as he bid them goodbye. 

"Don't forget what to say to Negan" Carl said to Daryl "if he does anything to you, I'm coming"

Daryl let out a soft laugh. He loved how protective Carl could be. 

"I will tell him. Thank you Carl" he replied. 

He looked one more time around him and felt emotional at having to leave this place once again. But perhaps he would see it again sooner or later. 

Rosita gave him a warm hug as well and he walked to Dwight's car. 

"Hey" Dwight told him "had a good time?"

"Well kind of, but good overall" Daryl said as Dwight started driving "what did you do?"

"Drove around the area, walked a bit..." Dwight told Daryl "Sanctuary can be very pressuring at times" 

"Yeah... I get what you mean" Daryl mumbled as he looked outside of the window. The sun had started to go down slowly. 

He focused on the passing greenery as Dwight returned them to the Sanctuary. 

\---  
Negan had been in pain once again. He knew that it was too early for progress but it still hurt. Carson gave him a painkiller and he closed his eyes to get some sleep. 

What he felt like a couple minutes turned out to be a couple hours as he blinked and saw that it had gotten dark outside. His eyes brightened as he saw Daryl sitting by his bed. 

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Negan asked him. He couldn't believe that he was sleeping while Daryl was back. 

"Didn't want to disturb you" Daryl said as he gave him a small smile "Thank you for today"

Negan blushed a bit. He didn't want him to be thanking him. 

"You're welcome" said Negan as Daryl took his hand in his and locked their fingers together. "I've been missing my octopus"

"I wasn't gone for that long" Daryl told him although he smirked a bit. 

"I know, but I did" Negan said "Do you want to lay down?"

Daryl shot him a glare. 

"Again? Didn't we say to not pressure yourself?"

Negan moved to the side as carefully as he could. 

"Don't care. Come on, lay down, you prick" said Negan with a small laugh. 

"Ok then, don't say I didn't warn you though..." Daryl mumbled as he laid to the admittedly limited space. 

Negan smiled with happiness as he wrapped his arm around Daryl. 

"You are becoming the octopus, I think" Daryl joked. 

"Nah..." Negan replied "can't ever be like you"

Daryl smirked at Negan and he let him hug him. 

Some moments passed in silence between them. 

"Thought you wouldn't return..." Negan admitted at last as he bit his lip. 

Daryl sighed at that. 

"I'm here, am I not? Plus you could easily bring me back" Daryl said. 

Negan thought about it for a bit. 

"Look, don't want you to be with me because you got forced to" Negan told him. 

"I am not Negan" Daryl said as he shifted to look him in the eyes. "I want to be with you and not because I'm your prisoner. You're not forcing me, stop worrying"

"Well can't stop thinking that you may don't actually want to be with m-" Negan started feeling frustrated. 

Daryl pressed his lips on his to shut him up. Negan kissed him back. He didn't think he would ever get tired of Daryl kissing him. 

"Does that answer your question?" Daryl asked him. 

Negan nodded and kissed him again hesitantly. He didn't want to scare him away, but still had doubts no matter how much Daryl tried to reassure him. 

"Plus Carl said that you will deal with him if you get out of line" Daryl told him with a smirk. 

Negan rolled his eyes. Of course the kid would say that. 

"The little future serial killer is definitely not to mess with" Negan said playfully. 

"Exactly" Daryl smirked "him and the little ass kicker are dangerous"

Negan smiled at the thought of Judith. She was an adorable kid. Their dad though... 

"How dear ol' Rick reacted to see you again?" Negan questioned. More curious than anything else. 

Daryl got moody at that. Negan noticed it and thought that maybe he shouldn't pressure the subject. 

"You don't have to tell me" said Negan. 

"We had a fight basically" Daryl mumbled "I punched him"

"Why?" questioned Negan as his eyes widened "because of me?" he asked feeling bad that he had influenced their friendship. His personal differences with Rick were something else. 

"You know what? Don't want to talk about Rick" Daryl told him making up his mind. No matter how much Rick had apologized, his behavior was unacceptable. 

Negan frowned, but dropped the subject. 

"Ok then..." he said as he pulled Daryl closer and closed his eyes. Being at the infirmary all day long was making him sleepy alongside his injury. 

Daryl looked at the ceiling feeling his eyes stinging. Simon, Rick, Negan and he was in the middle of it all. The first one was making his life a hell, his best friend was obviously out for blood despite his words and Negan was being himself. He loved him but he couldn't make a decision on if he wanted him to be Daryl or "Negan" but just with a different approach. 

Daryl had no doubts of Negan's feelings but then again if he didn't value his enough to let him he his own man, he didn't know how they would be able to move on. He hated how complicated everything had become and there was nothing he could do about it. 

He looked at Negan's peaceful sleeping and decided to go rest as well. Daryl got up carefully to not wake him up and stretched his sore body. He gave Negan one last glare and decided to walk down to "his" room. Almost everyone had been off to sleep already. Daryl was close to a corner when he saw blood on the floor. His eyes widened at the sight. It was mostly bloody footsteps. He heard voices coming from up close. 

Daryl panicked and looked left and right quickly. Thankfully there was a small storage room. He opened the door fast and got in, while holding his breath. 

"We were together and playing cards, alright?" he heard Simon saying. 

"Yes Simon we said that already. Get rid of the bloody clothes and I'll bring a mop to clean all that. If someone sees it they will think someone was murdered from the Sanctuary" some other guy told him exasperated. 

Simon hummed in agreement and walked away. 

Daryl was breathing fast. Who the hell had he killed and most importantly from where was whoever he killed?


	28. Chapter 28

Daryl was tossing and turning all night. He couldn't forget what he had seen. Talking about Simon abusing him was different, killing someone or more though? It had been made very clear that Simon was dangerous and Negan needed to know it. He could barely wait until morning. When it was an appropriate hour, he got up from bed and dressed himself. 

He walked to the dining hall and saw Simon. Daryl knew that he had to show courage. He couldn't just stand around and let Simon do whatever he wanted. 

"Simon" he greeted him coldly. 

Simon looked surprised that Daryl would be addressing him but smiled evily at him. 

"Well, well look who's here. Didn't we say to talk to me by starting with " Sir"?" he asked him in a threatening tone. 

Daryl ignored him though. 

"Negan wants to see us both" he told him as he turned his back on him. Simon looked at him suspiciously but opted to follow him. 

Daryl felt his heart beating fast as they walked to the infirmary. Negan was already awake and was laying at the bed. His eyes lightened up when he saw Daryl and to his surprise Simon as well. 

"Good morning" he told them with a smile "something happened?"

"Don't know boss. Daryl said that you wanted to talk to us both" said Simon as he realised that Negan didn't actually want to talk to them. 

"I tricked you" Daryl replied coldly "and you want to know why ? Because you are a sadistic bastard, that's why" he snapped at him. 

Negan's eyes widened at Daryl's anger and Simon laughed instead. 

"Can I please know where your hatred comes from?" Simon questioned like he didn't know already. 

Daryl turned to face Negan instead. 

"He grabbed me by the throat the other day and threatened to kill me if I didn't call him " Sir". Yesterday night, he came at the compound all bloody and he was saying with someone else to cover up their crime!" Daryl spat out. 

Negan was shocked by what he was hearing. 

"Is that true?" he demanded from Simon. 

"Of course not!" Simon told him. He wouldn't let Negan know anything. "Daryl is hallucinating things"

Daryl had enough and he attacked him. He got him to the floor of the Infirmary and started punching him. 

"Say who did you kill!" Daryl shouted at him in anger. 

"Daryl!" Negan yelled as he didn't get what was happening yet. Daryl would kill Simon if he continued like that. 

Soon two of Negan's men walked in and grabbed Daryl by the arms to get him off Simon. 

"I'm gonna fucking kill you" Daryl threatened him as he tried to escape them. 

Simon's face was bloody from the punches. Negan was in a shock by Daryl's violence. This wasn't like him. Simon managed to get up with struggle as he wiped some blood from his nose. 

"You're insane" he said to Daryl who growled in response. 

"Sir what to do?" asked one of his men who was holding Daryl. 

Negan had no idea what he should do. Daryl was outraged though. 

He hated that he had to do this but there was no other choice at the moment. 

"Put him in a cell" he said to his men as he avoided looking at Daryl. 

He had to find out the truth but he couldn't leave Daryl so out of control. 

Daryl got forced to move but not before he looked at Negan with a betrayed look on his face.


	29. Chapter 29

"What the hell is all that Simon?" Negan demanded to know. 

Simon let out a huff. 

"Daryl is out of control. He has been aggressive towards me since he was brought here again for no reason at all. It's all lies that I killed someone or that I tried to strangle him. I had been very kind to him despite his anger" Simon said exasperated. 

"With me why wasn't he like that?" Negan asked him "my prisoner he is, not yours"

"Everyone has seen that you treat him better. He took advantage of that obviously!" Simon told him. Damn you Daryl, he thought. If he had kept his mouth shut, he wouldn't have to make up excuses now. Thankfully he locked him up again. That was a start. 

Carson appeared by the door to take care of Simon's bloodied face. 

"Want him to pay" Simon snapped at Negan "I've been loyal to you and always had been. He's trying to tear us apart. Make him learn his place at last"

"Don't make me indications Simon" Negan told him as he raised his eyebrows "will check both sides first"

"Fine" Simon groaned as he left with Carson to help him with his beaten up face. 

Negan looked at him with anger. He found it unbelievable that those two had a beef behind his back. 

Everything was going so well with Daryl, why it had to get ruined? 

Negan grabbed two crutches that were by his bed and despite being in pain , he had to see Daryl. 

He walked with struggle down to their cells and told the guard on watch to open the cell despite his protests that this maybe was unsafe with his leg's condition. 

Negan rested himself at the door's frame and looked at Daryl who had been crying and was a mess. 

"Daryl I-" he tried tο tell him, as he was trying to understand what had happened. 

"Back to being your prisoner right?" Daryl snapped at him. 

"If you think this is pleasurable for me, you're mistaken" Negan said to him "Do you have evidence to support what you're saying? Why didn't you talk to me if indeed he was abusing you?"

"Because I was ashamed" Daryl told him "I was willing to endure his crap, to not be just a victim again. But I am, I came to realise. I'm not the Saviors damn toy to play with" he snapped at Negan who was shocked by what he was hearing. He had no idea that Daryl was feeling that way. 

"I have to find out who's telling the truth Daryl" Negan said in an exasperated tone "there is no evidence to support what you're saying. You should have talked to me, unless... Unless you still see me as the enemy" 

"If you want to be fair lock him up as well" Daryl told him bitterly "but no. He is your " Savior " , I'm your prisoner though so it's ok to lock only me ,right?"

"You were out of control. What do you want me to do? Let you kill him?"

"He deserves it" Daryl spat out. 

Negan shook his head very disappointed by Daryl's behaviour. 

"Perhaps a night locked up will calm you down, because you're far from calm. Tomorrow we will talk about this as civilized as possible so I can find out what happened. Whoever is guilty will pay though"

Daryl didn't reply and looked at the floor of this miserable cell instead. 

Negan just wanted to go sit next to him and say that he was gonna be ok. But Daryl looked ready to punch him as well. 

He walked out instead and the guard locked the door behind him once again.


	30. Chapter 30

"I'm outta here Carson" Negan said. He wanted to go back to his room. If he had been more close to Daryl and not leave him alone for hours, none of all these would have happened. Despite still being in pain, he couldn't stay at the Infirmary any longer. He was thinking the moments he spent with Daryl there and that he told him he was in love with him. All that was messed up now. When he finally was certain that he was happy, it had to get ruined. Maybe happiness wasn't meant for him. It was killing him that he had to lock Daryl up. They had moved on from there and now back at it.

Then again Simon was one of the first ones when he created the Sanctuary. He had said it when he first met Daryl and the others at the line up, that he was his right hand man. Simon hadn't given indications of such violence. Where did they think they were? He, that he was the leader of the Sanctuary, didn't demand Daryl to call him "Sir". He may had wanted him to say that he was Negan at the beginning but that was over for a long time now. Not only he would never demand something like that, but attempting to strangle him if he didn't do it? That was very extreme. So either Daryl had a very vivid imagination or it had indeed happened without him knowing a thing. But still, if Simon had done that, it was outrageous. Daryl was not a thing, he was a human. His, in fact. What kind of torture methods were those? They definitely didn't have any space at his compound. 

Since Daryl wasn't willing to talk to him when and if these incidents happened, how could he be sure? Like if he had told him that someone- even if that was Simon - was torturing him, that he wouldn't have done nothing about it. That hurted him the most at all this. Daryl still didn't trust him. Then it was that he had even punched Rick, his best friend. If he had done that to his best friend, why not Simon as well? Daryl was showing violent behaviours that had nothing to do with the sweet, caring person that he was with him. Negan laid to his own bed and it felt very empty without Daryl there ,who was at a cold cell. 

Negan let out a sob and tears rolled down his cheeks. He just wanted to be with Daryl again. Just couldn't comprehend that all they had lived together, was a lie. A pretend. He missed Daryl terribly already. Just when he thought he had found the person that meant everything to him, even if he was supposed to be his prisoner and now he felt lost. If Daryl was at fault, everyone would demand to make him pay. Either by leaving him locked up again or other punishments. He had to uncover what really had happened but it was hard without evidence. They both denied that they did what they were being accused of. So what was he supposed to believe? 

The hours passed without even realising it. The sky was starting to turn to dark outside when he heard a knock on his door. 

"Come in" Negan said as he wondered who could have been. To his surprise Frankie walked in. 

"Frankie what are you doing here?" he questioned confused. 

Frankie sighed as she approached his bed. 

"Heard what happened between Simon and Daryl. Terrible to be punching each other at the Infirmary just when everyone lost loved ones and so many got injured" she to him. 

"Yeah..." Negan drawled "the truth will come out though"

"I would believe Simon. He is not the type to lie" Frankie said as Negan shot her a look. 

"How do you know what type Daryl is?" he asked because he didn't like accusing people like that. 

"I know you Negan and you suffer because of Daryl. He broke your heart with what he did" Frankie said decisively. 

Negan averted his eyes. His heart had indeed been broken but he didn't want to talk about it. He was on the verge of tearing up though. 

Frankie stood up and walked even closer to him. 

"Let me help you Negan. To take the pain away" she whispered to him. 

Negan swallowed hard as Frankie was inches from his face. Before he could think about it, she was kissing him passionately making him let out a moan despite not wanting to. 

Dwight had learned about what had happened with Daryl and Simon and he was mad. Locking him up? Was Negan serious? He had to help him. To demand to let him go. He was sure that Daryl had nothing to do with what Simon was accusing him of and that Simon had been hurting Daryl in fact. 

He got to the Infirmary first, but Carson told him he had moved back to his room. Dwight walked towards it as he really had to talk to him. If someone had to pay, that was Simon. He was ready to knock on Negan's door when suddenly he heard moans coming from inside. What the hell was that? 

"Frankie" he heard Negan saying out of breath. 

Dwight's eyes widened from shock. So Negan was using Daryl, while he still was with his wives? That was outrageous, to do that to Daryl especially at these difficult times. Dwight made up his mind. Right there and then. Him and Daryl were out of there. 

"Frankie" Negan said as she continued kissing him "Frankie!" he repeated raising his voice a bit. She finally stopped kissing him and looked at him. 

"Get off me" Negan demanded as she had started removing their clothes "I don't want this. I love Daryl, this was a mistake that never should have happened"

Frankie stared at him with hurt and she could see now that his love for Daryl was 100℅ real. It couldn't be more real. 

She grabbed her clothes and got out of the room, leaving Negan alone.


	31. Chapter 31

"Hey Joe" said Dwight casually as he walked to the cells. He had to get Daryl out of there. Had waited until pretty late so most would be sleeping. 

"Hi Dwight" answered he hesitantly "what are you doing here?"

"Negan told me to replace you so you could go rest as well"

"Really?" asked Joe who wanted to lay down at last and not spend the whole night wide awake. 

"Of course" Dwight nodded "go sleep and I'll stay here. Has he caused any troubles?" he questioned as he pointed at the cell with his head. 

"No, nothing" said Joe. 

"Nice, would hate to have to put that annoying music on again" Dwight told him. Joe thankfully believed that he would be guarding Daryl in his place and left to go sleep, handing over the keys. 

Luckily he was gullible enough to believe it because he didn't know what he would do if there was someone else who had objections. 

He waited until he was sure that Joe was far away and unlocked the door. Daryl had fallen asleep after spending hours of being upset and stirred awake at the sound of the door unlocking. 

He wiped the sleepiness from his eyes and looked at his "visitor".

"Dwight" he mumbled "what are you doing here?"

"I am getting you out of here" said Dwight as he left the door wide open and walked to him to help him get up. 

"What?" Daryl asked confused "To go where?"

"Anywhere Daryl. Don't you see what is happening here?" 

"So you believe me about Simon?"

Dwight let out a sigh. 

"I do. Simon has his hands dirty and of course I believe that he had been abusing you. The only thing I blame on you is that you didn't tell me" 

"Yeah, maybe it would have been for the better..." Daryl said at the remembrance of how Simon had been treating him. "Negan said we would talk about it though tomorrow"

"I don't know if I should be telling you this, but I went to find Negan to talk to him about releasing you from this cell and heard him making out with Frankie. What do you have to talk about exactly?" Dwight told him as he frowned. 

Daryl felt betrayal at that. So he had him locked up and was making out with his wife ,when they were supposedly over? 

"I guess we have nothing to talk about after all. Let's get the hell out of here" he told him as he made up his mind. It was time to get on the defence side. 

First Negan had locked up only him and let Simon free plus betraying him like that. After all these words that he was in love with him. If he didn't believe him ,then so be it, but he wouldn't tolerate this behavior from anyone. Not anymore. If Negan wanted someone to play with he should find another one. 

Despite his pain, it was obvious that what they had with Negan, was over. Returning to Alexandria wasn't an option either. Rick had been treating him as an informer and not his friend who had gone through so much. 

Maybe he and Dwight could survive together and fix his life at last. Away from every single one of them.


	32. Chapter 32

"You want more proof that he is guilty?" Simon questioned as he looked at Daryl's empty cell. 

Negan shot him a cold glare. He was already devastated that Daryl had escaped. Not like the last times though. This time was different. It hurt him more than all the other escapes combined. Because he couldn't understand it. All he wanted was to solve what happened between Simon and Daryl. Dwight had helped him escape though, tricking both Joe and the guard at the gates to let them both go. 

"He got scared" Negan said to Simon. He refused to believe that Daryl left because he didn't want them to talk things out. 

"So you will let him go unpunished?" Simon demanded to know. 

"What do you want me to do?" Negan snapped at him and tried to support himself against the door as his foot still hurt. 

"Make Alexandria pay until he gets forced to come back" Simon told him "he maybe is already there"

"He is not" Negan replied instantly "he knows that this is the first place I would look. Will stay away from there. I'm not gonna punish others though without even knowing what happened. I am sure it is already hard for him to not be able to go back to his home" 

Simon let out a growl and left him alone. He was fumming that Daryl had managed to get away without a scratch once more. At least he would be exposed out there. Hopefully he wouldn't survive for long. 

Negan watched Simon leave clearly mad and sighed to himself. He walked to Daryl's cell and sat down at the poor excuse of a bed. Tried to control himself but it was for nothing as he started sobbing hard. 

"I am sorry Daryl" he mumbled, as hot tears ran down his cheeks. He laid to the cot and let himself cry. Daryl would never return to him after what he did. 

At least he wasn't completely alone but how would two people survive out there? He had lost him for real this time. All these threats and fear, what had he managed? The results were the same. He could send his men out to search for them both but he would make things way worse. 

Perhaps if he gave Daryl some time to calm down, he would rethink it and maybe-just maybe- he would give him a chance.


	33. Chapter 33

One month later

Dwight walked to the cabin that he and Daryl had been staying in ,to the smell of a warm soup. Daryl had been watching it to not get overcooked, but his expression was sore. Dwight sighed. Daryl had been just a shadow of his former self since they left from the Sanctuary. He was on the verge to tell him that they could go back if it was to see him happy again. Would talk to him, hunt, clean up, in general doing everything so they could stay alive, but he was empty. If by going back and surrendering was something he wanted, Dwight would do it. They never talked about Negan though. After Simon's abuse and Negan behaving like that in such difficult times for Daryl, he didn't want to say anything about his former jailer. Despite the fact that Negan had become so much more than that. 

Daryl sighed as he sat down so they could eat although he didn't have an appetite. 

After seeing him moving his spoon in circles around the soup without eating, Dwight let his drop to the table. 

"You are not well" Dwight declared. 

Daryl looked at him. 

"I am fine, what are you talking about?" he asked. 

"Can't fool me Daryl" Dwight said as he raised his hands up in exasperation "please talk to me. What do you want to do?"

"Nothing. Just keep surviving" Daryl answered plainly. 

"Surviving isn't living though. Maybe I was wrong to make you escape. I allowed my personal feelings to influence you as well..." Dwight told him as he frowned. 

"Yeah right. Like he wouldn't have punished me if he thought that I was lying? Escape was the only way. Rick just wanted an informer, Negan someone to play with...tell me how am I not better without them?"

"You are not though. Rick was your best friend and Negan someone you came to have a connection with. They don't even know if you are alive or not at this point. Don't want to jump to conclusions, but I'm pretty sure they feel the same way as you"

Daryl stayed silent and started eating his soup at last. Didn't know if they were missing him, but he did. 

So damn much. 

\---

Negan banged Lucille against Alexandria's gates. Rick appeared and opened up with a soreness written all over his face. 

"What's up with the face Rick?" Negan told him just to annoy him "Not happy to see me?"

"You want me to lie?" Rick spat at him. 

"I've been very lenient with you Rick. Since I can walk again, I've came for a pickup what? Twice already? Noone else can deal with you like myself" Negan replied. 

Rick stayed silent instead. 

"Wh-where is Daryl?" Rick asked hesitantly. 

Negan frowned at that. He didn't want to talk about Daryl, it just hurt too much. 

"If you see him, send him my way" he let out roughly. 

"How can I know that you didn't kill him yourself? Don't know maybe he wanted to break up with you and harmed him to get revenge" Rick demanded as he crossed his arms in front of him. 

"Shut up Rick" Negan chocked out as he pushed Rick out of his way and walked away with big steps. Daryl and Dwight had not shown signs of life and Rick found it appropriate to be making such "comments". He didn't even know where he was going. What was he even doing at Alexandria? He should go back home to cry on his own. He found an empty space behind a house and started sobbing. 

"Negan?" he heard someone asking hesitantly behind him. 

Negan hurried to wipe the tears from his eyes and looked at Carl ,who of course had to appear whenever he was at his weakest. 

"You crying?" he asked with surprise and something that sounded like worry. 

"No, something got in my eye" replied Negan as he didn't want to tell the truth, even if the kid seemed to get him more than anyone else. 

"Ah ok because if you were crying, you could tell me about it, but guess I was wrong..." Carl told him as he started to turn his back on him to leave him alone. 

Negan sighed frustrated. He didn't have someone to talk to so the kid was his only way out of his pain. 

"Fine, I was crying" he admitted. 

Carl turned back around with a small smirk. 

"I am a good listener you know..." he drawled. 

"You are not called a "little serial killer" for no reason Carl. It happens that I'm in need of a good listener so let's sit down to talk. Hopefully your dad won't spot us here " 

Carl rolled his one eye dramatically and walked closer to him to sit down next to Negan.


	34. Chapter 34

"Daryl would never accuse someone if they were innocent" Carl said exasperated as Negan explained to him the whole backstory of Daryl's third escape attempt and second one that worked. 

"Then why didn't he talk kid?" Negan questioned. He felt confused that Daryl hadn't been trusting him. 

"Daryl keeps to himself mostly. Wouldn't want to upset you most likely" Carl told him, which made sense in a way, but still. He should have talked. Now he had no evidence. 

He sighed to himself. 

"Miss him a lot Carl..." Negan sobbed out "I definitely have regretted everything I did to him. But now it's too late to make it ok. I've ruined every chance of both making him and being happy myself. Just want him back safe even if he doesn't want to be with me"

"Daryl is a survivor Negan. I'm sure that he is alive and he misses us, as we are missing him" told him Carl in an attempt to comfort him. He was sure that Daryl was alive. The issue was when he would come back. 

Suddenly Rick appeared walking from a corner and Negan stood up quickly. They couldn't get some time alone, Rick had to show up. 

"Do not make me repeat myself kid" he told Carl in a strict tone,trying to cover the fact they had been sitting together casually and talking. 

Rick heard him and raised his eyebrows at that. 

"What is going on here?" he questioned. He didn't like Negan to be threatening his son. 

"Nothing, just talking a bit" Negan told him. 

"My son is off limits though" Rick replied coldly. He had done enough already. 

"Relax, he is ok" Negan shrugged as he looked at Carl who nodded in agreement to calm his father down. "I'm leaving either way"

Rick gave him a glare and sighed. 

Negan walked to his car and sat at the driver's seat for a moment, thinking of Daryl. Where could he have gone to? All he wanted was to see him even once to make sure that he was ok. He should have expected it though that one day Daryl would leave and not return. Just hoped that he was ok wherever he was and to come back eventually. 

He started driving but he felt like he was suffocating in the car. So after driving some miles he stopped by the side of the road and got out to walk for a bit. 

\---

Daryl killed some Walkers with a knife that Dwight had given him. Looked at their "home" for a month now and felt nothing. For once in his life he had thought that he could be happy. That maybe all he went through with Negan was worth it and that he had changed. The result was that he didn't have noone left. Going back to Alexandria wasn't gonna happen, since Negan would discover him sooner or later. Plus his relationship with Rick wasn't the best either. 

Dwight had been right that he wasn't well. Not that he was, with Sherry being gone for so long. Both their lives were a mess. Didn't know for how long they could go on like that though. The cabin they had found couldn't replace what Alexandria and the Sanctuary had. Life out there was very hard. They had been washing in rivers until now, but as winter was rolling in, he didn't know how they would make it. 

He sighed frustrated as he walked deeper into the woods. Found a fallen tree and started cutting it. They could use wood for many things. Dwight had been telling him to not overdo things but it kept him occupied and not think of his big problems. Daryl was lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the steps behind him. 

"Daryl?" he heard a very familiar voice asking. 

Daryl froze and turned around slowly only to see Negan who seemed equally surprised to see him. 

How he had discovered him in the middle of nowhere? 

Negan walked carefully closer to him but Daryl stepped back in fear. 

"Where have you been Daryl for a month now?" he questioned as he frowned at Daryl being afraid of him. He felt relief that he was ok but it hurt him that he couldn't hug him. 

"Won't tell you of course" Daryl replied defensively "hoped I wouldn't see nor you or Rick again but guess I was wrong"

"We are worried for you. Both me and Rick" Negan told him as he felt his eyes stinging. 

"How do you care for me Negan exactly?" Daryl demanded "by imprisoning me and making out with your wife that you were supposedly over?"

"What do you mean ? I am not with a wife since I've been with you" Negan asked as he furrowed his eyebrows. 

Daryl sighed exasperated. 

"Dwight heard you when I was locked up. You and Frankie" he snapped at Negan. 

Goddamn it, thought Negan. 

"She came to my room when I was with my foot messed up and she started kissing me without agreeing to it. I cut it off though. I swear, as for Simon I wanted us to talk about it. You should have talked to me when it was happening, because I do believe that it happened"

Daryl averted his eyes as he was on the verge of tearing up. 

"If you believe me or not, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm not coming back there" he told him as he turned his back on Negan in order to leave. 

Negan was determined though. He wouldn't be letting him go and risk never seeing him again. Stepped forward and caught his arm. 

Daryl frowned at him. He just wanted to get out of there soon, so he wouldn't have to face Negan. It just hurt too much. 

"Let me go" he said to Negan. 

"Daryl look at me. Please just do it" he begged him. 

Daryl tried to get out of his grip but Negan wasn't letting go. He sighed deeply as he looked at him. 

"I am sorry for the pain I caused you" Negan told him as he looked straight into Daryl's eyes. "Please give me one more chance. If I let you down again, leave and never come back. All I'm asking is a chance to prove myself"

"I don't know if I can give you a chance. I'm tired of being used and noone giving a damn about my feelings. Next time you get mad, who knows what you will do to me. Like back then with Lucille. Told you already that I don't wish to be " Negan". You try to change me all the time though"

Negan swallowed hard at that as he teared up. 

"You are right, ok? I'm an asshole with a short temper. But I do want to become better and it's all thanks to you. With Daryl I fell in love with, don't want you to be like me. All I need from you is to be yourself. I've failed miserably to protect you and make you happy, but one month now, I've been thinking about you every single day and night. I miss you terribly and I know that I've got no right to demand things from you anymore"

Daryl had tears in his eyes as well. Negan released his arm gently and moved closer to him. 

"Please Daryl" he begged him as tears rolled down his cheeks. 

Suddenly Daryl's arms were wrapped around him as he hugged him tightly. 

"Don't hurt me again" he sobbed out. 

Negan hugged him back and felt his heart beating fast. 

"I promise you. You are the only one for me Daryl. Can't live without my octopus" and he knew that it was the truth.


	35. Chapter 35

Daryl walked with Negan to the cabin he and Dwight had been staying. 

"Please don't be mad at him ok?" Daryl questioned worried. Negan may had forgiven his own escape, but Dwight was the one to let him go. 

Negan sighed at that. 

"Daryl, he has kept you safe twice already and in very life threatening situations. Can't possibly be mad at him. You both have suffered a lot especially being forced to be out here..." he told him feeling shame that he was responsible for that. 

"It hasn't been ideal" Daryl said "but it's been home for one month now"

He opened the door and let Negan in. 

Dwight had been cutting some vegetables and he almost dropped them to the floor when he turned around and saw Daryl followed by Negan. 

"It's ok" Negan said to calm him down "I happened upon Daryl in the woods and we had the opportunity to have a talk. I'm not here to cause you troubles nor to force either of you back"

"How to believe that Negan? Other times it had seemed like you regretted things, but you never did" asked Dwight exasperated. 

"I do this time. I'm done playing games. You are both free to do what you want"

"Now what do you want me to do Negan? The love of my life is gone for so long now. Got forced to run away and will most likely never see her again..." 

Daryl put a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

"Gonna find Sherry Dwight. I will do everything I can to help" he promised. 

"Wish I could take it all back" Negan told him seriously. 

"We can't fix the past" Daryl said "but maybe we can make the future better"

"We will" Negan nodded in agreement. 

\---

Dwight seemed to relax around Negan now that he knew that he wasn't there to harm them. They had dinner together, soup again, which was more calm than Daryl could have ever thought given the circumstances. 

Negan was about to be out of their hair after eating as it was getting dark outside, but Daryl told him to stay there. After all it was unsafe to be walking around in the darkness. He led him to his room which was relatively small but at least the bed could fit them both this time. 

Daryl laid down beside Negan and he moved closer to him. 

"It's been so lonely without you" Negan told him as he shifted his body to face him. 

"Me too" Daryl agreed as he sighed. He had been feeling all alone in the world after everything that had happened. 

Negan wrapped his arm around him and rested his head against Daryl's. 

"I don't know how long it will take but I'll make you happy" he promised. 

Daryl shifted his body as well and pressed his lips on Negan's. 

Negan kissed him back and felt so good to be with Daryl again. 

"Just be by my side, alright? That's what I need to be happy" he told him. 

Negan looked at him hesitantly and Daryl nodded, guessing his thoughts. 

He helped Daryl remove his pyjama top and did the same with him. Negan looked at Daryl's warm body and he saw scars all around. Daryl felt self conscious as he noticed Negan looking at his scars. Before he could back out though, Negan was kissing the spots where the scars were as gently as possible. 

"You are perfect" Negan told him as he saw Daryl's hesitation regarding his scars. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise"

Daryl's lips were on him again and Negan let out small whimpers. 

He got on top of Negan and looked straight into his hazel eyes. 

"You are mine" he said to Negan as he kissed his neck making him let out a moan. 

"All yours" Negan agreed, as he let Daryl to take care of him ,as only he knew best. He would be going at any pace Daryl was comfortable with. 

He owed him that much.


	36. Chapter 36

Negan woke up next to Daryl and he felt like he was still dreaming. He had missed this guy so much.

Daryl stirred awake next to him and looked at him with sleepiness.

"Hey" he told him with a roughness from sleeping.

"Hey" Negan replied softly "last night was great"

"It was" Daryl agreed "I just want us to be like that from now and on. Can't lose you again" he said as he bit his lip. He didn't think he could go through something traumatic again.

"We have to be done with Simon first and then I'm all yours" Negan said as he sighed.

"So you believe me?" Daryl questioned. He was itching to get revenge on Simon but he had to know if Negan believed him first.

"I do Daryl" Negan said as he wrapped his arm around him for comfort "You would never make up these kind of things and some scumbags already attacked you once, wouldn't surprise me if someone else did the same. But I've told you. I won't harm you again and won't let others harm you neither. He is gonna pay and then we can be together at last" he said to him decisively.

Daryl kissed him again as he felt emotional. He just wanted to be with Negan. Without anyone hurting either of them anymore.

"You are gonna be ok, I promise you" Negan mumbled as he kissed him back.

It was still early in the morning and Daryl didn't want to get up just yet.

"Just...let's stay like that for a bit" he pleaded Negan.

He laid back down and Negan covered him up better because the cabin was quite cold.

Daryl wrapped his arm around him and rested his head on his shoulder.

"I love you so much" he admitted.

Negan took a deep breath.

"I love you too Daryl and I've missed you a lot. Your hugs, your kisses, your laughter..." he told him as he sighed.

"My defiance?" Daryl joked.

"That the most" Negan chuckled softly "although the prick is competing with you on that"

Daryl laughed a bit.

"I bet he does" he answered.

He missed Rick despite everything that had happened between them. 

"Look don't know how, but we are gonna make it right with Alexandria as well" Negan told him ,as he guessed his thoughts. 

"Yeah,we have to" mumbled Daryl.

"Sleep Daryl" Negan told him quietly "it's still early" 

Daryl complied and closed his eyes as he fell asleep again. 

Negan stroked his hair gently and looked at the ceiling.

He had done nothing to deserve that, but somehow he had gotten it.

He shouldn't mess up again. Just shouldn't.


	37. Chapter 37

Dwight was pacing outside at the Sanctuary's yard, feeling nervous. A lot depended on how convincing he would be. He had sent someone trusted to call on Simon that he supposedly wanted help now that he was back. 

Soon Simon appeared with some of his men following him. He smirked when he saw him. 

"Long time no see Dwight. Didn't take you for a traitor, going behind Negan like that, but damn can't say I'm not impressed! Running off with that prick though, well, I'm conflicted about that" 

"I killed Daryl" Dwight replied coldly "I knew how much Negan cared for him, so decided to take matters in my own hands and to persuade him that I'm on his side. Negan would never punish him and you know it. So after I took him away from here, I tortured him first and then killed him. You and me want the same thing, Negan to be gone"

Simon looked surprised to hear that Daryl was dead. He couldn't complain though. 

"This changes things for sure" he told Dwight as he smiled menacingly. 

"I came back because Negan has to get killed. He has done too much already. I believe that it's a common goal for the both of us" Dwight said as he tried to make him admit to wanting to kill Negan. His confession would be enough. 

Simon sighed exasperated. 

"A damn horde couldn't get him out of the way" he scoffed. 

"The horde? You mean that was you?" Dwight felt instant anger. So many had been killed for nothing. 

"Of course Dwight" Simon smirked "Despite the fact that it didn't kill him, it caused some serious damage"

"I want him out ,for good" Dwight replied. 

"We need to make this quick, quite and respectful" Simon told his men "Man's has done a lot for us, he deserves that"

He pointed at Dwight. 

"You. Have some legitimate personal issues with the man. The kill is yours if you want it"

"Just to be gone. Is enough for me" Dwight replied coldly. 

"Fine by me" Simon smirked "then we will enslave Alexandria for good this time. They need to be taught their place at la-"

Simon was interrupted by Negan's whistling. 

He walked in while swinging Lucille threateningly. Negan gave Dwight a pat on his shoulder. 

"Thank you D" he told him "I'll take it from here"

He looked at Simon and he counted. 

"Three. Two. One" suddenly Simon's men were falling dead all around them. 

Negan sighed as he let out a chuckle. 

"You know, you managed to fool me. It's funny because I always pride myself to be one step ahead. But bringing a herd to the Sanctuary? It can get more cold blooded than that"

His men surrounded Simon and caught him by the arms. 

"You have nothing on me. Where is your evidence?" he demanded. 

"Here it is" Daryl replied behind his back with a cold tone. Next to him was Jadis who looked worn down, but very angry. 

"You slaughtered her people and then came back here and tried to hide it" Daryl said "Thought you could keep it a secret huh?"

"It's all lies!" Simom spat out in denial. 

Suddenly Frankie walked out and approached them decisively. 

Negan gave her a puzzled look. 

"He told me that I would be free if you broke up with Daryl. That Rick would show me and the other wives no mercy. His plan was to ruin what you had"

So that's why she had been kissing him etc. It all made sense now. 

"You are like your plans Simon. A failure" Negan told him. 

Simon fought harder and released himself from Negan's men. He got a knife out and moved towards Negan in order to kill him. Negan was faster than him though and hit him with Lucille making him fall to the ground in pain. 

Negan handed Daryl his crossbow. 

"You need to have the honor" he told him. 

Daryl nodded as he took the crossbow in his hands after such a long time. 

He walked above Simon and looked down at him. 

"You are such a piece of shit Daryl" Simon laughed as he looked at him. 

"I won't let anyone tell me who I am again Simon. I'm someone who you will never be and that is enough" Daryl told him as he shot an arrow straight to his head. 

Simon's death was instant. Daryl's crossbow was shaking in his hands as he started crying. 

Negan took it from him and held him tightly in his arms. 

"It's over Daryl. He can't harm us anymore"

Daryl sobbed in his arms, as everyone stood frozen around them. 

Simon would never cause them pain again.


	38. Chapter 38

Daryl walked to the room that Negan had put him when he brought him to the Sanctuary. Laid down and curled himself up. He should feel happy at last but he wasn't feeling it. Everything that he had been through was overwhelming for him. Looked at the wall as he let tears roll down his cheeks. Negan was having a pretty heated conversation with Frankie about everything that had happened, but he had walked away and somehow his steps brought him to his old room slash prison. 

How he would pick up his pieces again? He was feeling so damn tired. He felt as hopeless as when he was brought there. His body rocked as he sobbed hard and he grabbed the bedsheets in his palm. He didn't even notice Negan walking into the room and sitting down at the edge of the bed. He felt equally frustrated and emotionally drained. 

"Daryl" he told him "let's go to my room. Don't want you to be staying here. I'll burn it down if needed, but don't you ever come here again. I know that you're in pain. You have to get up though"

Daryl let out a sob and Negan released his hand from the bedsheets gently as he urged him to get up. 

"I got you" he mumbled as he took most of Daryl's weight and led him to his own room. He walked him to the bed and helped him lay down, as he covered him. 

Daryl trembled as he continued sobbing. 

Negan laid down next to him and felt terrible at Daryl's obvious distress. 

"Noone will hurt you again, you hear me?" Negan demanded "and I'll be damned if I do it myself. Because I did hurt you and a lot" he told him as he felt regrets filling him up. 

"Can you just hold me?" Daryl asked in between his tears. 

Negan moved himself closer to Daryl and wrapped his arm around him. 

"You did what was right" he told him seriously. 

"What did he want from Frankie?" Daryl asked as he cleared the tears from his eyes. 

"To break us apart amongst other things. She didn't want to cause harm, at least not for real. Wanted to be free like Sherry. Can't say that I blame her. Treated all of you in the worst possible way" Negan mumbled frustrated. 

"I am sorry" Daryl said as he looked at him in the eyes. 

"You have nothing to apologize for. Can't believe that you're still with me after breaking your trust so many times and treating you so badly" Negan told him as he genuinely couldn't understand how Daryl was still there with him. 

"Where else to go Negan?" Daryl asked as he supported himself on his elbow to look at him. "You are the one that I love and it has nothing to do with Stockholm Syndrome. I am tired of being apart from you..."

With that he leaned in and kissed Negan, who kissed him back. 

"I love you too Daryl. I'll try to spend the rest of my days trying to prove it to you" said Negan as he hugged him tightly in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters left to reach 40 👍


	39. Chapter 39

Τwo weeks later

"Are you sure you don't want anyone to come with you?" Daryl questioned. 

"No, I'll be fine Daryl. Thanks to you I'm even going to follow that lead on Sherry" Dwight answered as he closed the door of the car behind him where the supplies for his trip were. 

Daryl was feeling emotional. Dwight had helped him so much and he felt bad that he couldn't repay him enough. 

"I'm gonna miss you" he told him as he was on the verge of crying. 

Dwight sighed as he looked behind Daryl, at the Sanctuary. He couldn't believe that after all those years, he would be leaving. Despite the fact that he had many bad memories and bitterness from this place, he was gonna miss it after all. 

"I'm gonna miss you too Daryl" he said as he looked at him "I'll be thinking of you and will meet again. This isn't a permanent goodbye" 

He opened his arms and Daryl gave him a hug. 

"Thank you. For everything" he mumbled at Dwight. 

"I have to thank you" Dwight told him back. 

Dwight looked at the short distance and saw Negan staring at them and being unsure if he should approach. Daryl let him go and saw Dwight looking behind him. He saw Negan and he walked hesitantly towards them. 

Negan let out an awkward cough as he glared at Dwight. 

"So... This is goodbye huh?" he asked unsure. 

"Is it a "good" bye Negan?" Dwight questioned. 

Negan swallowed hard, but he nodded. 

"It is Dwight" Negan told him seriously "You may never forgive me but know that there will always be a place for both you and Sherry , when you find her, because you will. She is tough nut"

"You take care of Daryl over here" Dwight told him as a small smirk appeared on his face "don't need anything else but that"

Negan looked at Daryl who did the same. 

He wrapped his arm over Daryl's shoulders. 

"I will keep him safe. Don't worry" he said to Dwight and meant it. 

"That's all I needed to know" Dwight smiled at the both of them as he got to the car. 

He bid them both goodbye as he turned on the engine and drove away from the Sanctuary without a plan to return soon after so many years. 

Daryl wiped a tear from his cheek as he watched him drive away. 

"You think he is gonna be ok?" he questioned Negan. 

"He is more than capable to protect himself" Negan answered because he knew that it was the truth "we will definitely see him again"

A car appeared by the Sanctuary's gates and the guards let it in. 

Negan expected to see Rick but instead saw Carl behind the driving wheel. 

He grinned when he locked eye with Negan. Carl stopped the car and got out. 

Daryl gave him a hug. He had missed both him and Judith. 

"Daddy dearest was busy?" Negan questioned as he looked at Carl. 

"Nah" Carl replied "just asked to come instead"

"So you didn't sneak out again?" Negan asked as he smirked a bit "I'm impressed"

Daryl gave him a poke and Carl laughed. 

"You haven't given me any reasons yet to bring a machine gun again, so don't worry"

"Total serial killer" Negan whispered to Daryl ,who smirked back at him. 

Carl rolled his eyes. 

"Will you help me get the supplies out?" he questioned. They had made a deal, the Sanctuary and Alexandria, to exchange supplies they needed for supplies the other one was missing. So far, it was working great. 

"Sure kid" Negan replied as he walked with Carl to unload the car. 

Daryl couldn't believe that everything had been going smoothly, but he could safely say that he was feeling like they were on the right path. 

"When are you getting a haircut Carl?" he heard Negan asking. 

Carl shot him a glare. 

"When are you stopping being an asshole?" Carl told him in a snarky tone. 

"Erm probably never" Negan replied. 

"Same for me then" Carl smirked at him.


	40. Chapter 40

Two months later

Daryl finished decorating the tree they had found on a run, when he felt Negan wrapping his arms around him from behind. 

"This is amazing" Negan told him as he looked at the tree. 

"Ho, ho" Daryl replied, smirking at him as he turned around and kissed him. 

"This is gonna be the best Christmas yet" Daryl told him. First time that he was genuinely excited for Christmas even if it was during the Apocalypse. 

"To many more that will come" Negan replied as he hugged him. 

The Sanctuary had never been so festive before. Everyone was more than happy to embrace the Christmas spirit and for once Negan felt like this was his home and not just a cold factory. He knew that this was all because of Daryl, since he was responsible for his change of heart. In exchange Negan was gonna offer him the Christmas he never had as a kid. 

"Can't wait to give you your gift" Daryl told him with the excitement of a small kid. 

"What is it?" Negan questioned ,because he just couldn't contain himself. 

"Erm what kind of surprise it would be?" Daryl asked him "you'll see in two days"

"Ok ok" Negan smirked at him "can't wait to show you your own gift as well. 

"Will you tell me what it is?" Daryl told him, forgetting that Christmas would be in two days. 

"If I have to wait, you'll too" Negan grinned. 

"Fine" Daryl drawled "but know that I'm not feeding you cookies or milk"

Negan laughed at that as he moved Daryl a bit to the left. 

"Look. There happens to be a mistletoe above our heads" Negan said, as he showed it to him innocently. 

Daryl rolled his eyes. 

"Hmm it would be a shame to ruin the tradition huh?" he asked Negan. 

"It would" Negan mumbled as he leaned closer to his face. 

"We don't want any bad luck..." Daryl replied as he kissed Negan. 

This was gonna be the best Christmas. 

\---

Negan woke up next to Daryl and realised that it was Christmas morning. 

He felt excitement and shook Daryl to wake him up. 

"Daryl, Daryl!" he told him eagerly "it's Christmas!"

"Mmm" Daryl said sleepily "let's sleep a bit more Negan"

"We can't ,Daryl" Negan replied as he smirked at him "Have a lot to do today"

Daryl cleared his eyes from the sleep and looked at him. He had never seen Negan so excited before. 

"Ok you win" he told him as Negan smiled. 

"There is no Christmas morning without a good breakfast" Negan told him as he radioed to bring them to his room. 

"Your gift first" Daryl said. 

"Don't you want to wait to exchange after breakfast?" Negan questioned. 

"No, I'll give it now" Daryl said decisively as he opened a drawer of his bedside table and got a wrapped up gift out. 

"Here you are" he smirked at Negan. 

Negan offered him a smile and started unwrapping the gift carefully ,eager to see what it had inside. 

When the wrap paper was out of the way, he saw a framed picture and it was... 

"Me and Lucille" he mumbled as he felt emotional when he saw the cut out picture that Daryl had discovered back then. 

Daryl had glued the two pieces together carefully and it looked like he had never cut it in two. 

"She would like to remember her like that Negan" Daryl told him in a soft tone. 

Negan had tears in his eyes as he gave him a big hug. 

"I-thank you so much. It is very sweet of you" Negan said ,as he looked at the picture again. 

"Just because she is gone, doesn't mean that you have to forget her" Daryl told him as he placed the picture at Negan's bedside table. 

Negan felt better now that he had the two persons that meant the world to him, at the same place. 

\---

After they had an admittedly delicious breakfast, Negan stood up and grinned at Daryl. 

"Alright! Your gift now" he announced as he got a sleeping mask out. 

"Thanks, I needed it..." Daryl joked when he saw the mask. 

"I know that you are like the sleeping beauty but that's not your gift. That will go on top of your eyes though, so that the surprise won't be ruined" Negan said with a grin. 

Daryl rolled his eyes but stood up and walked to him. 

Negan placed the mask at his eyes making sure that he wasn't cheating by waving his hand in front of his sight. 

"All good" he told him excitedly as he guided him out of the room. 

"Don't make me crash into a wall, ok?" Daryl asked a bit worried. 

Negan sighed dramatically. 

"Who do you take me for? I won't" he told him as he focused on guiding him. 

"Are we close?" Daryl asked eagerly. 

He heard Negan opening a door and he stood behind him. 

"You ready?" Negan asked. 

"Yeah, I wonder what it is" Daryl replied as he nodded. 

Negan removed the mask from his face. Daryl blinked to get used to the light and then had to blink again to make sure that he was seeing correctly. 

There in front of him was the supposed "torture chamber" that Negan had forced him to help renovate. But it was far from a torture chamber or even the mess it had been when they first started working on it. 

In the middle there were two billiard tables and everywhere around were tables with chairs or beanbags for people to sit. All around were big bookshelves filled up with books and board games. It even had an arcade basketball machine. 

Daryl was speechless. The design was very modern and everything looked awesome.

"What do you think?" Negan asked "it's mostly for you but it will be a playroom for everyone at the compound. They need some fun after everything they've been through..."

Daryl hugged him tightly. 

"It's amazing Negan and an equally amazing thought. Everyone is gonna love it, I'm sure of it"

"I'm glad that you liked it. Merry Christmas Daryl" Negan told him with a smile. 

"Merry Christmas Negan" Daryl said as he held him in his arms. 

At that moment he knew that things were gonna be ok. 

As long as he had Negan by his side. 

A very merry Christmas, indeed. 

~The End~


End file.
